


Sometimes, it's Better to Forget Responsibility

by CosmicCove



Series: Just the Three of Us [1]
Category: Epithet Erased
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Giovanni is very dad, Hurt/Comfort, If you ship Molly and Giovanni get out, Little bit of angst, Mentions of neglect, Or Sylvie too he's only 15, Or molly with anyone, Sleepover Fic, mentions of abuse, platonic fluffiness EVERYWHERE, this is after episode 4 but where exactly i have no clue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:49:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21728572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicCove/pseuds/CosmicCove
Summary: In an effort to make Molly happier, Giovanni organizes a sleepover between her, Sylvie, and himself.  Both those kids need to lighten up and have a good time for once, and if anyone could do it, he could.-& is for platonic relationships, and this fic is just *all* & fluff.   Friendship is just...  My favorite to write......
Relationships: Giovanni & Molly, Giovanni & Molly & Sylvie, Giovanni & Sylvie, Molly & Sylvie
Series: Just the Three of Us [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1583299
Comments: 111
Kudos: 369





	1. Chapter 1

Thirty minutes had passed, and not a single person had entered the store yet. Molly yawned, and rubbed her tired eyes. The small analogue clock blinked 11:30 at her, like it was mocking her. She barely had customers ever, anyways; who buys toys this late at night, besides for the oddballs that came into the store on occasion. What did that really matter when she needed the money, though? At least it was Friday, which meant she didn’t have school the next day.  


Slow nights like this were her least favorite. She was bored, she didn’t get hardly any money, and she really needed the sleep she was missing out on. After all the action she’d been through, she thought she’d be alright with a few quiet days, but it seemed that every night after the museum incident, she wanted something exciting to happen again. She never thought of herself as an adventurous person before, but now she found that, perhaps, she was.  


She was ever grateful that she had her friends around still. Giovanni had been, for the past few days, dropping by to talk to her. He could not hang out with her outright, though, because the police were suspicious still, trying to find the banzai bandits,and although they were onto Giovanni himself, he found it safest to lay low while they investigated. All in all, though, his spontaneous presence helped her immensely. The change in her mood the past week even was mentioned in passing by her sister, who never seemed to notice anything. Molly made note to tell Giovanni this the next time he snuck in to say hi.  


As for Sylvie, he also stayed in touch with her. He had called her when he got to the hospital like she asked, and had been calling frequently since. He had healed wonderfully from everything he'd gone through at the museum, and was now out. He, like giovanni, had begun to talk to her more spontaneous, as he had research to catch up on. She grew a little lonely when she was at home without either of her friends, but when Sylvie called, he was also clearly lonely, although he refused to show it outright, and she supposed this was because he didn't have any other friends to confide in. It made her very grateful for the friends she had at school.  


The clock on the desk now flashed midnight at her, and the closed thing she had to a customer was a woman who paused outside the shop and peered in, as if considering buying something, before she walked away. Against her better judgement, she felt herself beginning to nod off. She looked outside, hoping to spot another curious passerby to excite herself out of her grogginess. She didn't see anyone, and then she was both tired and frustrated. She only had to make it to 1:30, and then she could sleep, but the 12:05 on the clock seemed to laugh at her as it glowed.  


Suddenly, someone dropped down in front of her. She cried out in fear, cut off by a panic "shhh!"  


She looked up at the man. "Giovanni!" She exclaimed quietly, grinning, "I was hoping you'd come to visit!"  


He chuckled. "Holdin' down the fort tonight, huh, Bear Trap?"  


Molly sighed, "Every night." Her tired frown turned back into a smile, "But it's not so bad when you're around."  


"Yeah, so, I was thinking: Let's ditch this place."  


"What?"  


"Yeah, I thought it over, let's all just have a sleepover! You been saying you want to get out of the house all week, so I figured this would work."  


Molly laughed, "Giovanni, you're crazy! My dad wouldn't want me staying the night at your house!"  


"Would your dad notice if you snuck out, though?" He asked with a sly grin.  


"No," she answered slowly, "I suppose he wouldn't. My sister probably would take a while to realize it too."  


"Yeah, so let's do it. We could grab that other kid too. That little brat with the sheep. Uh… What was his name?"  


"Sylvie!" Molly cheered.  


"Yeah, him. Even if he annoyed me to no end," Giovanni growled  


"I think he needs someone to hang out with. He sounds really lonely. All he does is research things, and he always gets really excited and calls me to tell me all about it. But then he asked me about my day, and I tell him about school and the time I spend with my friends, and he sounds sad while we talk about it. Even sometimes when I tell him that you visited he sounds sad, and he doesn't like you that much."  


Giovanni paused to take her words in. "Well… shoot. I don't want him to be sad, even if I like to make fun of him."  


"You are inviting him to a sleepover," Molly pointed out, "That'd make him feel less lonely, I bet!"  


"Oh, you're right!" Giovanni exclaimed, "Man, I am just great at cheering people up!"  


Molly giggled, and stood up from the desk for the first time since her shift began. Finally, something very exciting was happening, and it wasn’t even a bad thing this time. Somehow, she found the energy she was looking for to keep her awake, and she felt less tired as she closed up the shop and followed Giovanni out into the darkened street. She looked up at the sky, taking in the stars barely visible beneath the lights of the city, which in themselves also held the beautiful appearance of the glittering nighttime sky. “So, what do we do now?” Molly asked Giovanni.  


“Well, we better go find wherever that nerd is,” He supposed, “Sylvie, or whatever.”  


“Yay!” Molly peeped with a chuckle.  


“Where would he be now?” Giovanni muttered.  


“Probably at home,” Molly plainly answered.  


“Do you know where he lives?”  


“Yeah, but it’s all the way across the city.”  


“No big deal.”  


Molly had Sylvie’s address written in her notepad on her phone so she wouldn’t forget it, and she pulled it up. She read it off to Giovanni who exclaimed “Of course!” as if he knew all along where Sylvie had been.  


“How are we going to get there?” Molly asked.  


“Same way everybody gets around. I have a car,” Giovanni remarked.  


“You have a car?” Molly replied in surprise.  


“Yeah, don’t most kids my age?” he asked, “I’m an adult, you know.”  


“I just didn’t think you were responsible enough,” Molly explained.  


Giovanni sneered, “No, I wasn’t the one that crashed one car three times.”  


Molly laughed, “Yeah! That’s true.”  


They stopped at a car parked on the side of the road a small distance from the store. “Is this yours?” Molly asked.  


“Yeah, you can tell from the flames painted on the side.”  
Indeed, she saw that the car was all black with flames painted down the sides. The flames appeared to be painted on sloppily, and if Giovanni hadn’t called them flames, it would have taken her a minute or two to figure out what they were. He must have painted them on himself. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the car. A tight squeeze of excitement resonated inside her as she climbed into the back seat of his car. There was a thrill in breaking the rules, in doing things for herself, in giving her family a sign that she was her own person, and she didn't need any of them to tell her how to live. She could make her own decisions and have her own opinions, and she had people who knew that. They encouraged it, in fact. She didn't need her dad or sister, here she was with people that would let her be her without her having to be more than she already was. It was relieving.  


"You still sit in the back seat?" Giovanni asked her, raising an eyebrow.  


"Yeah," she answered, "Usually my sister sits up front. I'm more comfortable back here."  


"You're welcome to sit up here," he offered.  


Any other day, she would have said no, but tonight she hopped out of the back and into the front. She clicked her seat belt on, and then made sure it was firmly wrapped around her at Giovanni's request. After he made sure both of them were strapped in safely (safety is important) he smoothly began to drive off. Molly peered out her window, watching the streetlights they passed, the light wavering over them. They were the only things that were familiar on these new roads. Despite that, she was glad to be driving down new roads; this was a route she could get used to, no, wanted to get used to.  


"You've been pretty quiet," Giovanni commented.  


Molly shrugged in reply. "I'm just thinking."  


"Thinking about what?" He asked.  


"I, well…" She sighed, "It's hard to explain. I guess, all this happening, meeting you and Sylvie, and doing all this crazy stuff, it feels like I'm someone else. In a good way, though! Like, the person I was always trying to be, I'm am her now. Everything back home made me feel like I had to be someone else than who I was or who I wanted to be. I had to be that girl that made my dad and sister happy. But then, I met you. Everything changed after that. I could be myself and the person I wanted to be, and I think I'm the person I want to be right now even! You two made me realize that, and I guess Mera and that barrier guy did too, sort of, and-" she sighed, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, thank you."  


Giovanni was silent for a minute. "Geez, Bear Trap, it's hard to drive on the verge of tears. This hardly seems safe."  


"I'm sorry!" She rushed in concern.  


"Naw, it's okay, kiddo," Giovanni told her, "It was, well… You see, I'm not actually upset, not at you at least, I'm really happy you feel that was and I, and that other punk, too, I guess, are able to help you. You have seemed to be smiling more recently, and so I've been hoping maybe I was making an impact. I wasn't so sure of myself at first, but I want to help you, and knowing I have been is just so awesome. And I promise I'm not going to cry, and even if I am- I mean was- crying, it's not because I'm sad." He let out a strained chuckled, tightening and loosening his grip on the wheel. "I guess what I mean to say is, your welcome, but also thank you at the same time."  


"Thank you?" She asked, "Why are you thanking me?"  


"I feel meaningful, I guess."  


"What?"  


He shook his head again, with a confused grin. "I don't quite know how to explain it, it's just a nice feeling."  


"Okay."  


The rest of the drive was as quiet as the beginning, as they both mulled over what they had been told. It wasn't an awkward or strained kind of silence, but a respectful one. As one point in time, which neither of them really could remember, Giovanni had switched on the radio, which was playing loud music, but it was turned down significantly, so it was just a hum. It was background noise to Molly, who hardly noticed when it had been turned on and quickly tuned it out when she did. Even Giovanni forgot about it quickly, seeming to only have turned in on in an effort to feel like he was doing something worthwhile during the drive other than thinking.  


The car slowed to a stop at the side of the road, outside a small apartment building. "We're here," Giovanni announced.  


Molly stepped out of the car, feeling the sharp Taiga air nip at her hands and face, unprotected by her hoodie. She looked up at the building, scanning the windows, and how more were dark than lit. One light when out as she gazed up, and she remembered with a small jolt that it was around 12:30 in the morning.  


"Do you know what room is his?" Giovanni inquired.  


"Yeah, he said room 105," she recited, recalling his words from numerous conversations they held over the phone.  


"Okay then, we're all set!" Giovanni exclaimed. Molly giggled in excitement through her shivering. Under his breath, Giovanni added, "I hope your ready for a night of excitement, nerd."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Giovanni's dad mode knows no bounds.

Molly tapped against the door near-inaudibly. “C’mon, Bear Trap, you’re going to have to knock a little louder than that for him to hear you!”  


“I don’t wanna wake anybody up,” Molly murmured. She knocked a slightly louder, but not by much.  


Giovanni scoffed. “If you want, I can get my bat out of the trunk and I can show you how to really get someone’s attention!”  


“No, no!” Molly squeaked, holding out her hands in protest. She gave the door a good knock that time.  


There was a long pause, and it seemed like no one would answer. Molly was about to knock again, determined to not give up, when the door opened. Sylvie stood there staring at them in tired confusion, until he recognized who was there. He looked up at Giovanni with disgust blatant on his face. “Oh, of course,” he sighed, “Only you could come here at this hour without being invited or me giving you my address.”  


“Sorry,” Molly peeped looking at the ground.  


“Molly?” Sylvie gasped, turning towards where he hear her from, “Oh, I didn’t- I-” He laughed nervously.  


“Yeah, she’s here too,” Giovanni sneered, “So, yes, you did give us your address.”  


“I gave her my address,” Sylvie scowled back, “I had no intention of you ever coming here.” He paused for a moment, looking between Giovanni and Molly in contemplation. “I suppose it’s alright if you’re her ride. Why on earth are you here so late, though?”  


“To pick you up,” Giovanni answered matter-of-factly, “We’re having a sleepover.”  


“No. Absolutely not,” Sylvie insisted at once, “Not on such short notice, and I’m especially not going anywhere with a known criminal. Shouldn’t you be on the run or something.”  


“I’m more the ‘goes into hiding’ type,” Giovanni explained with a shrug.  


Sylvie hummed doubtfully in reply. “I’ve got research to be working on. I’ve been working non stop since this morning.”  


“Then take a break, jeez!” Giovanni retorted, “You can’t work away your whole life!”  


“Exactly. I’m very busy,” Sylvie pointed out, “I won’t have forever.”  


“There’s more to life than researching forever,” Giovanni growled.  


“Like what?”  


“Friends maybe?” Giovanni spat, exasperated.  


Sylvie flinched. “Now your just making fun of- Wait.” He turned to Molly, and for a moment she saw a lot of hurt and loneliness on his face, but he composed himself and became the same, professional-looking boy she knew. “I suppose I can come along, but only if you let me have a closer look at your epithets,” he agreed finally.  


“No!” Giovanni insisted, “No research aloud! You need a break!”  


“Let me research or I won’t go!” Sylvie hissed in reply, “Molly, back me up here.”  


Molly stammered. “Well, honestly Sylvie, I think you need a break too. You’ve been working and working and working… Does it ever stop?”  


“Of course it does, I sleep sometimes. I slept just last night. A full four hours. A little more than usual, so I'm fine.”  


“Four hours?” Giovanni exclaimed, "You at least sleep every night, right?"  


Sylvie laughed condescendingly. “No.”  


Giovanni paused in shock. “How often do you sleep?”  


Sylvie shrugged. “Who knows.” Giovanni grabbed both his shoulders. “Hey! What are you-?  


“Okay, nerd boy, that’s it! You are going to my sleepover, because-” he gestured to everyone in the room with a flourish “-You all NEED some sleep!”  


“Put me down right now, or you’ll be the one asleep,” Sylvie grumbled, trying to pry off Giovanni’s hands.  


“Please?” Molly spoke up, “I think it will be fun.”  


Sylvie made of small noise of frustration, but lowered his hands in defeat. “Fine. But I’m walking there myself; let go of me!”  


Giovanni let go cautiously, like the boy might run off the moment he loosened his grip.  


“Thank you,” Sylvie told him coldly.  


“C’mon, Sylvie, aren’t you just a little excited?” Molly asked him with a smile.  


Sylvie replied with a dry, “I guess.”  


They arrived back outside, the chilly air stinging slightly against their skin. Sylvie pulled up his hood with a small shiver. “Now,” Giovanni explained, “Bear Trap always rides shotgun, so-”  


“What?” Sylvie interrupted, “But I’m older!”  


“Maybe physically,” Giovanni jeered under his breath.  


“What was that?” Sylvie shot back.  


“Nothing. I didn’t say anything,” Giovanni quickly answered.  


Sylvie eyed him angrily for a moment. “I don’t really care, honestly,” he finally stated, “She can ride up front if she wants.”  


Everyone settled into the car, Molly up front leaning against the door filled with contented sleepiness, and Sylvie in the back with his arms crossed in a pout. Giovanni wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel, a feeling of purpose filling him. The car began to take off, rolling smoothly down the streets of Sweet Jazz City. The bright lights and warm coziness of driving with people that understood her began to lull Molly to sleep, and before long, she was out. She wasn’t aware of when exactly they arrived at Giovanni’s house, or who carried her inside, but she remembered waking up for a few seconds, wrapped soundly in a fluffy blankets in a dimly-lit room, then letting herself fall back asleep. She felt safe.  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  


Sylvie and Giovanni stood in awkward silence in his room. Having just tucked Molly into the guest bedroom, Giovanni leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. On the other side of the room, Sylvie was standing with his arms crossed as well; it wasn't his usual condescending pose, it was more nervous, like it would protect him. His green eyes darted curiously over the room. Giovanni could almost see the cogs turning in Sylvie's mind.  


"You always find something to overthink, huh, Nerd Boy?" Giovanni asked him.  


Sylvie grumbled something too quiet to understand, but made no true retort. He looked down at the floor, curling and uncurling his toes in sudden self-consciousness.  


“Oh,” Giovanni murmured in realization, “I guess that’s just what you do.”  


“You wouldn’t get it,” Sylvie finally replied softly.  


Giovanni nodded. “Yeah, I probably wouldn’t. Even so, it looks like something’s bothering you.”  


“Well, for starters, I’d rather not be hanging out with you. I thought I’d be okay with Molly around, but it seems I did not account for her falling asleep before you.”  


“Duh,” Giovanni interjected, “I know that! What I was saying is that something is on your mind, and you should, I don’t know, maybe talk about it or something. Aren’t you a therapist? Shouldn’t you know a thing or two about this kind of thing?  


“You don’t know anything about it,” Sylvie snapped, “Leave it to the professionals, Crime Boy!” Sylvie thought that Crime Boy was a good retaliation to being called Nerd Boy all the time (It was not).  


“Okay, I’m going to ignore the name calling,” Giovanni commented, “I might not have a degree, but I think I know enough to know something’s going on in that dingus little head of yours.”  


“Well, it’s nothing I want to tell you, of all people!”  


Giovanni shrugged in defeat. “Whatever. At least try and get some sleep if you really hate me that much.”  


“No!” Sylvie exclaimed, “And I never said I- oh well, I guess I did say I hated you that one time… But I don’t really hate you. I just dislike the things you do and would rather not hang out one-on-one.”  


Giovanni scoffed, “If you say so, kid.”  


“I’m not a kid!” Sylvie shouted, his arms falling rigidly to his side, fists balled in sudden anger.  


“Yeah, what’s up with that anyway?” Giovanni asked him.  


“What do you mean?”  


“I’m not a kid,” Giovanni elaborate, doing an impression of Sylvie that did not sound like Sylvie at all. “Why? What’s the big deal? It’s not like the world’s ending or something.”  


“It- I-” Sylvie stammered. He suddenly felt like he could not articulate a thing. “It’s just important to me. I don’t have to explain it to you.” His yelling had died down to more of a pouting tone. He 

crossed his arms in the same defensive way he had earlier.  


“I’m just saying, give yourself some time to grow up, man,” Giovanni explained, “Do you want to be rushing around like this forever.”  


“Yeah,” Sylvie admitted, “But I can’t, so I have to make the most of my time.”  


Giovanni looked at Sylvie with utter concern. "What the actual heck are you going on about?"  


"Time's not going to wait for me to take my time growing up," Sylvie explained harshly, "I have to do things as quickly as I can or else…" He trailed off, realizing he had been losing face, and composed himself. "I don't know why I'm telling you this," he admitted quietly.  


Suddenly, Giovanni's arms were wrapped around him in a firm hug. He hadn't even noticed him cross the room towards him through all his ranting. Half of him wanted to push Giovanni away, but the other half of him- that horribly alone half of him- made him hug back instead. "I thought you hated me," he whispered, his voice strained.  


Giovanni inhaled sharply. "No." He didn't know what else to say. How could he have just realized now that Sylvie had also been overthinking everything he had said to him? "I'm sorry."  


Sylvie was silent for a few minutes. "Me too."  


Giovanni didn't know what to do now. Should he let Sylvie go and have some space? But as he loosened the hug, Sylvie gripped at his sleeves harder, and buried his face into Giovanni's shoulder. 

"I'm sorry," Sylvie whimpered, "It's just scary…"  


"What's scary?" Giovanni asked, feeling dread build up inside him.  


"I don't want to live an unfulfilled life," Sylvie explained, and with a wave of shock Giovanni realized Sylvie was crying, "I don't want to be forgotten. Not after everything I worked for. But I don't… know… how. And it feels like I'm running out of time to figure things out always."  


Giovanni was speechless. He had never considered that the world would go on without him, much less that he'd be forgotten. Even now, it didn't seem that bad to him; he'd be remembered by those who loved him, and who cares about the rest. He wouldn't say that to Sylvie though. That wouldn't change his mind, but it would probably feel pretty dang invalidating, and that was not Giovanni's goal.  


"Honestly, I don't know how to fix that either," Giovanni confessed, "But I want you to know that I will never forget you, ever. In a good way, too, in case you were wondering."  


Sylvie looked back up from where he had hidden his head. Giovanni could see tears clinging onto his glasses' lens. "Thank you," he squeaked, nearly inaudible.  


"No problem, ki- Sylvie," Giovanni replied quietly, "Now, I mean it this time when I say it's time to sleep. You really need it. Trust me."  


Too exhausted to argue, not that he wanted to anymore, Sylvie nodded in agreement. He could hardly keep his eyes open now that he had stopped crying. He knew strong emotions could make someone more tired, but he hadn't realized just how exhausting crying was.  


Giovanni chuckled lightly. "Don't fall asleep here. I don't think I can carry you to bed too!"  


"Mmm," Sylvie sleepily mumbled, "Where exactly am I sleeping?"  


"Well, Bear Trap is in the guest bed, and I suppose my mom might see you if you slept on the couch. I guess I could let you sleep in my bed?"  


"I'd rather sleep on the floor," Sylvie muttered.  


"Or you could do that," Giovanni offered.  


"I'd prefer that, in all honesty," Sylvie told him.  


Giovanni whisked around his room, scavenging his closet and dresser for anything soft. He managed to somehow pull a blanket or spare pillow from every nook and cranny of his bedroom. It was rather impressive. He amassed it in a large pile in the middle of the floor. It was a nest of blankets and sheets all mushed together, overlapping and tangling with one another in a circular shape, outlined by fluffy pillows.  


"There you go!" Giovanni announced, gesturing to blanket-pillow amalgamation with pride. He saw that Sylvie had summoned one of his sheep while he was waiting, and was petting it absent-mindedly, and tired smile on his face. He stared out into space, no doubt thinking of some complicated psychology thing way over Giovanni's head. It was kind of endearing. It struck Giovanni that when he met Sylvie in the museum, he had only gotten to see one side of him, and maybe that side of Sylvie wasn't the best side. Sylvie seemed like a pretty nice guy to him now that they both weren't totally stressed out.  


Giovanni gave Sylvie's arm a gentle shove, shaking him from his thoughts. "Hey. Your bed is ready."  


Sylvie stared down at the clump of blankets and pillows. He grinned. "That looks comfy," he commented. Sylvie walked over to the blankets, and laid down in them, wrapping himself up in a blanket cocoon. His sheep followed him and nuzzled up beside him.  


"Good night," Giovanni called to him, but Sylvie was already asleep. Then Giovanni turned off the light. He was tired too. God, taking care of these kids was a full time job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If some of this chapter seems a little rougher than usual, it's because I wrote the last half and proof read it while as tired as the characters are.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just a whole lotta fluff!

"Giovanni! I'm not going to say it again! Wake up, or I'll come in there and wake you myself!" His mother's voice cut the serene quiet for the millionth time. Finally, Giovanni pushed himself up with a yawn. She couldn't walk in now or else he'd get caught, and he'd rather not have to send his friends home and get an earful from his mom first thing in the morning.  


"I'm awake! Sheesh!" He yelled back to her. With a shiver, he pulled his hoodie on over his pajamas. Winter was quickly approaching the Taiga, and the first few days of bone-chilling cold were upon them. He was really hoping to take his friends out somewhere fun, but maybe it was too cold. He hoped it would get warmer as the day went on. He glanced at Sylvie, whose sleep was miraculously undisturbed through all the shouting.  


He walked out of his room cautiously. His mother was nowhere to be seen, which meant she was in the kitchen, so that's where he went. "Good morning, Gigi!" She greeted him.  


"Moooooom!" Giovanni whined, "I told you to stop calling me that!"  


"Oh, lighten up, Gigi," She nagged with a dismissive wave of her hand, "I have to head to work, now. Remember to do your chores. Now, if I come home and this house is a wreck, I'm going to take your car keys again."  


"Mom, not my car!" He yelled.  


"Sass back again and they're gone now," she warned.  


"Aw, okay," he sighed, defeated.  


"Goodbye, Gigi. I love you," she said, trotting out of the kitchen, into the front room, and out the door.  


"What in the world should I do now?" He wondered to himself, "Usually, I just go back to sleep after she leaves, but maybe I should say up and do something nice for the others. But what?"  


He eyed the stove. Yes, that was perfect! He'd make breakfast. He wasn't the best cook in the world, but he certainly knew how to make eggs and toast. He opened the refrigerator, and reached for the egg carton. As he pulled it out, another carton caught his eye. It was orange juice! Aw, those kids are going to love this!  


He pulled a skillet from a drawer, and put it on the stove, turning on the heat. Carefully, he cracked three eggs onto it, which seemed to be the most the skillet could hold at once without them all running together. While he let them cook, he turned to the toaster, popping in two slices of bread. They hopped back up at him after a minute, nice and crisp. He put the two slices on a plate and cut each into triangles. Then, he put one more slice into the toaster, and did the same to it.  


By the time he was done with the toast, the first batch of eyes was done cooking. He pulled out two more plates, dividing the triangles of toast amongst them, and then giving each plate an egg. Then, he started three more eggs. Two eggs and two toast triangles seemed to be a good amount of food. He was so excited to share this!  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  


The soft light streaming against her face first began to wake Molly up, but the smell of food is what really got her up. It had been so long since she had a home cooked meal, she thought she imagined it at first. She sat up, still a little sleep-addled. With a start, she remembered that she was not in her own room. She smiled as she remembered that she was at Giovanni's house.  


She crawled out of the bed, still in her full outfit from the day before. She wandered out of her room, following the scent to the kitchen.  


"Good morning!" Giovanni greeted her when she entered, "You're just in time!"  


Molly grinned at him. She looked at the plates of food on the table. "Did you make that?"  


"I sure did!" Giovanni confirmed with pride.  


"Wow! Thank you!" Molly joyously exclaimed.  


"Do you want anything to drink? We have orange juice!" He told her in excitement.  


"Oh, yes, orange juice please," she requested quickly, "I love orange juice!"  


He placed a glass of orange juice next to her plate as she dug into her eggs. "How'd you sleep, kiddo?"  


"Really well," Molly answered, "I probably slept better last night than I ever did at home. At least, recently."  


Giovanni gently tousled her hair. "Good!" Seeing that Molly was all settled down with her food, he sat down to his own ate, and began to eat as well.  


Molly looked around. "Did Sylvie leave or something?"  


Giovanni laughed. "No, he's still asleep. He needs it, so I'm going to let him sleep as long as he wants."  


"Oh, that's good," Molly commented, "He seemed a little over-worked lately."  


"That's an understatement," He whisper under his breath. Louder, so Molly could hear, he said, "Sylvie is… A strange kid. But he'll be alright, I think."  


"Woah, what, are you guys friends now or something?" Molly chuckled.  


Giovanni shrugged, "Eh. Sort of."  


Molly laughed louder. "I went to sleep for half a night, and you guys are friends now?"  


"It is kind of ridiculous sounding," Giovanni agreed with a smile, "But, I don't know, I find him a nice guy when he isn't being a total stick in the mud, y'know?"  


Molly nodded. "I think I know what you mean." She looked back down at her plate, her eggs now gone. She regarded her bare toast for a second. "Do you have any jelly?"  


"I don't know; let me check." Giovanni started rummaging through the pantry. Finally, he spotted a jar with a purple lid and label. It was grape jelly. "Here you go!" He called, presenting the jelly very dramatically, as he did most things.  


"Thank you," she giggled adorably. She carefully spread the jelly over her toast. When she was done, she picked up the first triangle, and took a big bite out of it. "Mmmm!" She hummed with a contented smile.  


Giovanni sat back down and decided to jelly his toast all well. "You like it, then?"  


"It's delicious. You did amazing!"  


Giovanni laughed, "Thank you, Bear Trap."  


"So, what did you guys do last night?" Molly asked with a curious grin.  


"We just talked," Giovanni answered nonchalantly.  


"Oh," Molly peeped, "About what?"  


"Oh, um…" Giovanni wasn't certain on how to answer. He was pretty sure Sylvie wouldn't want him to tell Molly about what they discussed that night, and he didn't especially want to tell her either. "Y'know… Things."  


"Aw, c'mon," Molly pushed, "It must have been pretty awesome, since you two are friends now."  


"Ah, well, we talked about you," Giovanni laughed nervously, "Yes! You! You are such a great friend, just talking about you made us friends!"  


"Wow, really?"  


"Yeah!"  


"I feel so powerful!" Molly giggled.  


Giovanni laughed as well, "Yee-up!" He agreed, "You have power unmatched." He looked for something to change the subject with, before she could see he was lying through his teeth. "Hey, do you want seconds?" He asked, noticing she had cleaned her plate.  


"No, thank you. I'm stuffed!" She answered.  


He took his last bite of toast. "Looks like we eat about the same, then," he noted. He picked up his plate, and hers, and carried them over to the sink. He turned to her. "What do you want to do now?" He asked.  


"Oh, um… I don't know!" Molly replied, "What is there to do?"  


Giovanni thought for a while. "Well, I knit. There are some board games in my room too. I think we've got Apples to Apples, Connect Four, I think maybe a checkers board… Oh, and Battleship!"  


"Ah, I love Battleship!" Molly cheered.  


"Battleship it is then!" He whisked off to his room. Now, he had to sneak in and get the game without waking Sylvie up. He opened the door slowly, thankful that it did not creek even slightly. He moved as quietly as possible, nearly holding his breath. Scanning the room, he found the shelf with the games. He moved over to it silently. The games were stacked on the bottom shelf neatly. Battleship was on the bottom of the pile. Giovanni wanted to shout in anger, but he clenched his teeth and did not make a sound.  


Carefully, he wedged his thumb between Battleship and the other games, and slowly pulled it out. He gently lowered the other games at an angle. Just as he pulled Battleship free, the other games slipped from his grip and hit the ground with a thud. Giovanni sucked in a sharp breath, and turned to where Sylvie slept. Relief filled him as he saw that Sylvie was still asleep. Sylvie shifted had a little so he could cuddle up against his sheeps soft wool. Giovanni thought it was super cute.  


He snuck back out the room, successfully leaving Sylvie sleeping soundly. He walked into the living room, where he found Molly sitting on the couch. Her hands were folded politely over her lap, and she was humming quietly to herself. Noticing Giovanni, she asked, “Did you get the game?”  


Giovanni held up the game in triumph. “I sure did!”  


“Yay!”  


He laid the game on the table, and opened it up, prompting stray pegs to off the board. Molly and Giovanni gathered them up quickly and poured them back into the bins haphazardly so that some of the white pegs went into the red, and some reds, with the whites. They were already jumbled anyways. Then, they began to assemble their battleship positions. “Ready!” Molly chimed. Giovanni placed his last two ships indifferently, foregoing strategy in order to start playing more quickly.  


“Ready.”  


“Who’s going first?”  


“You should go first.”  


“Oh. Ok! Um… I6?”  


Giovanni place a white pegs into the plastic ocean. “Missed. E8.”  


Molly did likewise. “Missed. F2.”  


Giovanni shook his head. “B10.”  


“Nope. H7.”  


“So I was wondering- E4- How long do you want to stay?”  


“I can stay more than one day?” Molly asked, “Also, you missed. A5?”  


“Ahg, you got one of my ships! Also, yeah. You just don’t seem that happy at home.”  


“A6?”  


“Missed. K2?” He paused. “You can stay as long as you want. In fact, anytime home gets overwhelming, just call. Or show up. I don’t care. I just want you to be safe and happy.”  


Molly looked up at him with wide, admiring eyes. “Thank you,” She murmured, “Also, you hit one of my ships. A4?”  


“Aw, you sunk my battleship!” Giovanni whined, discarding the tiny, two-peg ship. “K3?”  


Molly shook her head sorrowfully. “Hit me again. K7?”  


“Missed. K4?”  


“You missed. So close, yet so far,” Molly giggled, “H3?”  


“Missed, but just barely.”  


"Ooh!"  


"K1."  


Molly removed a three-peg long ship from her board. "You sunk my battleship." She stopped to think. "Hey Giovanni? Can I stay the night again tonight? Also, H5."  


Giovanni placed a red peg on his five-peg long ship. "Of course! Like I said, stay as long as you want."  


Molly smiled up at him thankfully.  


"J7."  


"Aw, you hit one of my ships again!" She complained.  


"Yes!"  


The two continued to play, sometimes shouting when they sunk a ship, or one of their ships was sunk. Luckily, the shouting was not loud enough to wake up Sylvie. In the end, Molly was victorious. She barely beat Giovanni, however, and it was a very close game. At Molly's request, they played a second game, and once again, she won. The second time, the game was a lot less close, despite Giovanni swearing there would be "No my mr. nice bad guy."  


When they had cleaned up the game and put it away, Giovanni switched on the tv. It was on the news, which his mom watched every morning before he woke up. "Booooriiiing!" He jeered, switched the channel to cartoons. A newer show called Magical Madness was playing.  


Molly looked at the screen with a grin. "I love this episode!"  


"You watch this show too?" Giovanni asked gleefully, "Dude, that's awesome!"  


"Yeah," Molly answered, "Only a few other kids at my school have started watching it, but everyone who has, loves it!"  


"I can't imagine someone watching this show and hating it," Giovanni remarked.  


"Me neither," Molly agreed, "Are you going to watch the new episode Monday night?"  


"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied.  


Molly asked, "Then can I come over and watch it with you? My sister always hogs the tv. I have to wait for her to go to bed before I can watch anything, and she deletes things I record so she can record all her favorite episodes."  


"Aw, that sucks," Giovanni groaned, "Of course you can come over to watch it. I can even pick you up and drop you back off."  


"That'd be great! Thank you!"  


Just then, the two of them heard a door opening from the hallway. They both turned towards the noise, quiet and alert. A still very sleepy looking Sylvie entered the room, rubbing his tired eyes and dragging a fluffy, pastel blanket with him.  


"Good morning," he mumbled, "What time is it?"  


Giovanni glanced at his phone. "It's around 11:45."  


"11:45? You guys let me sleep until 11:45? Why didn't anyone wake me?" Sylvie yelled.  


"Because you were tired," Molly answered calmly, "You really needed to sleep."  


"Bear Trap's right, you know," Giovanni reinerated, "You don't sleep that long for no reason."  


Sylvie made a small anxious noise.  


"Relax, Sylvie. Sit down and watch Magical Madness with us," Giovanni told him.  


Sylvie sighed, and sat down on the couch with them. After a few minutes of watching, he commented, "Hey, this show is pretty good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all deserve some fluffiness after all the tears in the past two chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Giovanni takes his kids- I mean friends- to the mall.

Giovanni wondered what he could do with Sylvie and Molly now. It was currently 1:00, and they had mostly talked and lazed around watching television. At noon, they had eaten, Giovanni and Molly having soup (of course), and Sylvie eating the breakfast Giovanni had made for him, without putting anything on the toast to the others' disgust. Things had started to seem a little stagnant after hours of watching cartoons, and Giovanni could see that Sylvie was getting a little fidgety without something to do. A brilliant idea sprung up in his mind.  


"Let's go to the mall," Giovanni suggested.  


Sylvie and Molly looked at him. "The mall? Why?" Sylvie asked as Molly agreed with a playful cheer.  


"It'll be fun," Giovanni explained, "Isn't that reason enough?"  


"Sounds a bit childish, just to go because it's fun," Sylvie pointed out as Giovanni switched the television off.  


"So?" Giovanni shrugged, "Ever hear of treating yourself?"  


Sylvie indifferently replied, "Maybe once or twice."  


Giovanni shook his head in disapproval. "That just won't do. I command that you come to the mall! You are going to have so much fun!"  


"You command me huh? I guess I have no choice," Sylvie sighed in dry sarcasm.  


"Exactly!" Giovanni exclaimed, grabbing Sylvie by the arm and Molly by her hand. He practically dragged them out the front door.  


"You can sit up front this time, if you want," Molly offered to Sylvie.  


Sylvie looked at Giovanni, looking for confirmation of this. "Sure, if it's alright with Bear Trap," he decided.  


Sylvie got in the front, with Molly in the back, both secure in their seat belts. Giovanni drove them to the mall, following familiar roads that reminded him of when he would take his boys to the mall sometimes. He almost laughed remembering the ridiculous antics they got into there, like the time Dark Star got dared to ride one of those quarter-per-ride mechanical ponies and it broke halfway through the ride because its weight limit only went up to the average eight year old. With a shiver, he remembered the time Car Crash had driven them to the mall. He would never drive them again; none of them would let him, especially Ben, who was quite frankly sick of having his car totalled. Finally, the car rolled to a stop, parked in the lot of the Sweet Jazz Mall.  


The trio stepped out of the car, and began the trek to the mall. The air was bitingly cold, somehow colder than it had been that morning. A solid, light-gray cloud cover had rolled in, making it a little darker than it should be. “Why’d-d you have to p-park so far aw-way?” Sylvie grumbled through his chattering teeth, pulling his hood up.  


“Do you see any other spaces available?” Giovanni retorted.  


“...No.”  


“Come on guys!” Molly scolded them, “It’s not that far.” Molly had also pulled up her hood, revealing little bear ears that stuck up at awkward angles where they had been bent and creased after years of use. Needless to say, it was endlessly cute.  


“I suppose you’re right,” Sylvie admitted after a pause.  


Soon, they were inside the mall, cozy and warm. It was bustling with people, mostly teens that shot in and out of shops in groups. It was noisy, a constant buzz of people talking, plastic bags rustling and paper bags crinkling, and various other noises that were made by colorful attractions. It was a lot to take in at once, and Sylvie, who had only been to the mall a few times, and could not remember any of the visits very well, was a bit overwhelmed. Giovanni and Molly, however, had been to the mall plenty of times with friends and alone, and were very excited.  


“Where do you want to go first?” Giovanni asked them.  


“I want to go to the pet store and see the bunnies!” Molly cried.  


Sylvie didn’t say anything.  


“Okay then. To the pet store!” Giovanni announced, leading the two to a shop that had “Prim’s Pet Store” printed above it in thulian pink letters. Two windows displayed two golden retriever puppies playing together, while the other had sleepy hamsters resting in their plastic cages visible through them. Giovanni pointed to the colorful, plastic cages. “Those are not safe for hamsters.”  


Molly peeked at the hamsters. "Poor hamsters," she murmured.  


Sylvie nodded in agreement.  


They walked into the store. Molly immediately scampered to the bunny pen, and began gently stroking the ears of a brown bunny. Giovanni wandered over to the pen where the puppies visible behind the windows were playing, watching Molly out of the corner of his eye. The puppies ran up to him, eagerly licking his fingers and bumping their heads against his hands as he pet them. Sylvie looked around the store, spying noisy kittens and a squawking bird, before his eyes landed on a quiet lizard slowly pacing around his enclosure. He made his way to the back of the store and watched the lizard crawl in silence.  


The lizard looked awfully miserable in its tiny cage. Giovanni had said that the cages for the hamsters were not safe for them. Sylvie wondered if maybe the lizard's cage was not suitable to its needs. He'd have to put in a letter to the mall about the treatment of the animals within the shop. The lizard stopped moving for a moment to look up at him. Its eyes seemed to say 'help me.' Sylvie looked at it back, hoping his stare seemed just as meaningful to the lizard.  


A store worker approached Molly. "You seem awfully fond of the bunny, miss," she purred, sickeningly sweetly, "Would you perhaps be looking to buy it?"  


Molly shook her head. "No, ma'am. We're just looking today."  


"Aw, are you sure?" The worker persisted, "They're on sale!"  


"I said no," Molly repeated.  


"Oh, but I'm sure we could work something out today. I can tell how much you love it. Where are your parents?"  


Molly groaned. She dashed off towards Giovanni, colliding with him and pulling him into a hug from behind. "Giovaaaaniiiii," she called, burying her head into his cape.  


He turned to her in concern. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"  


"That lady won't leave me alone!"  


"I, well, uh…" the worker stuttered, before dashing away.  


"C'mon, Bear Trap," Giovanni told her, "Let's get out of here." He glanced around the room. "Where's Sylvie?" Giovanni asked Molly. She shrugged. "Sylvie!" He called. No reply.  


"Did he leave the store?" Molly asked him fearfully.  


"Naw, that's not like him," Giovanni answered quietly, "But where could he-?"  


"I'm right here," a soft but curt voice replied behind him.  


"Sylvie!" Giovanni and Molly both cried in unison, turning to him. Molly gave him a tight hug.  


Sylvie tensed up, but then cautiously returned the hug. Something seemed off about him.  


"Where to next?" Giovanni asked.  


"How about we let Sylvie choose this time, since I just got to choose?" Molly suggested.  


"Oh, no, I couldn't," Sylvie quickly mumbled.  


"Aw, it's ok, Sylvie. It's awful nice of you to let me pick again, but it's your turn!" Molly told him with a kind smile.  


"I… I don't know where we should go,” he told them, stumbling over his words, “You should pick.”  


“Well, where do you usually go when you go to the mall?” Molly asked helpfully.  


Sylvie muttered his reply inaudibly.  


“You’re going to have to speak up,” Giovanni told him.  


“I haven’t been to the mall,” Sylvie confessed.  


“You’ve never been to the mall?” Giovanni exclaimed.  


“Well, not recently…” Sylvie stated, “I’ve been once. Maybe twice. I don’t remember why.”  


Giovanni gawked at him. “You don’t go to the mall?”  


“Yeah. I just said that,” Sylvie bluntly pointed out.  


“You’re life is devoid of fun!” Giovanni shouted.  


“What-? No!” Sylvie defended, “I just have different ways of having fun…”  


“Researching all day everyday is fun?” Giovanni questioned, “I can see it being a fun hobby, for you at least, but everyday? It’s fun to do the same thing every day?”  


“I… Well…” he stuttered. He paused in contemplation. “No. No it’s not. I like it sometimes. But sometimes I need a break. I just don’t know what else there is to do.”  


“C’mon, then. There’s a map right over there,” Molly said, pointing over to a sign in the middle of the walk way.  


“Okay,” Sylvie agreed uneasily.  


The made there way to the map. Sylvie looked it over. “There’s a bookstore,” He noted quietly, a tinge of fondness in his voice.  


“Do you want to go there?” Giovanni asked.  


Sylvie nodded. The three of them made there way to the bookstore. Once inside, Sylvie wandered over to the nonfiction section while Giovanni helped Molly look for the next book in a series she liked. Molly began to explain the plot to Giovanni as they searched “It’s called ‘Mermaim’ and it’s about this legion of mermen knights fighting in a war. There are these two undersea kingdoms, and the main character is from this one called Coralia, and they are fighting against…”  


Sylvie poked around the book store’s collection of psychology books. He was unimpressed with them, as he had read nearly all the books, and the ones he hadn’t read were out-of-date with current sciences. With a new spark of interest, he noticed the animals section of the non-fiction rack. He scanned the spines of the book briefly, and noticed a book about lizards. He hadn’t brought money; when they basically dragged him out of his apartment he didn’t have time to grab anything,but maybe he didn’t need to. He opened to a chapter about caring for the animal, and began reading.  


“I haven’t been able to get this book because I never had the money, or the time, or anybody to drive me to a store, but now I’m here!” Molly concluded, as she pulled the book from its shelf. She opened it and sniffed the new book scent, and then let it fall back closed.  


“That sounds really interesting,” Giovanni remarked as he checked the price tag, “I might have to borrow them from you sometime.”  


“Thank you so much for getting this for me,” Molly muttered with a sheepish grin.  


Giovanni patted the top of her head. “It’s not a problem at all, Bear Trap.” Looking forward, he asked, “Do you think that dork has picked out a book yet? I bet it’s some dumb pyschologist book that I’m gonna have to pry away from him so he doesn’t work himself to death or something.”  


“Giovanni, I know you are concerned, but I think we should still support his interests,” Molly said pointedly.  


“Look, I’m not trying to say that he should drop psych; it’s his job, after all. I’m just saying that he needs to give himself more free time, and maybe relax a little. He’s, like, obsessed or something,” Giovanni explained.  


Molly thought for a moment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Molly agreed, “It probably isn’t healthy to talk about it every single conversation you have, even if it’s your job or passion, or both.”  


“Despite what he might think, I want him to be happy and healthy,” Giovanni admitted, “Both of you, I should say.”  


“You know,” Molly told him, “Sometimes, I think you’re better at taking care of me than my dad is. And I think you’re better at taking care of Sylvie than he can take care of himself, even if helping people learn self-care is his job.”  


Giovanni looked at Molly, speechless. There was a great swell of pride within him. He put a shaky hand to his mouth and looked away for a moment. He moved his hand away to utter “Thanks,” to her, before putting it right back over his mouth. Of all the compliments he had ever been given in his life, this had to be the best so far, and he wasn’t even sure it was supposed to be one.  


“Are you okay?” Molly asked Giovanni in abject worry.  


“I’m okay,” he answered faintly, “C’mon let’s go find Sylvie.”  


When they found Sylvie, he was pushing the book back on the shelf. “Oh, hey. Did you guys find the book?” He asked, turning to them.  


“Yup!” Molly answered, holding the book above her head.  


“Did you find anything?” Giovanni asked.  


Sylvie shook his head. “All these books are lame,” Sylvie snarked, “I’ve read them all already. Well, the one’s worth reading still, at least.”  


Giovanni nodded slowly. “Yes, these are all lame.”  


“Actually,” Sylvie sneered with a smug smile, "You could learn a thing or two from these."  


To Sylvie's surprise, Giovanni said "Probably. Maybe I'll borrow one from you." Sylvie began to wonder if maybe Giovanni cared for him the way he cared about Molly. No, he decided. He himself was already friends with Molly, and thinking that he might have another so soon was pushing his luck. Whatever happened last night, that was probably because they were all tired, or Giovanni felt obligated to help him out because he was Molly's friend. He couldn't wrap his head around another conclusion. He felt silly for even thinking of such a thing, or wanting it, even. He was grateful for the friend he had.  


Besides, friendship had to be a mutual thing, at least he thought it did. And just because he wanted to be Giovanni's friend for a moment didn't mean he still wanted it… Did he? And either way, he was pretty sure Giovanni didn't want to be his friend. Besides, open as he had been the night before, he was still hiding things from Giovanni, and he supposed he was hiding them from Molly too, which didn't sit quite right with him, but also seemed to make things easier for both of them.  


Molly's voice broke him from his thoughts. "What was that book you just put away?"  


"Oh, that?" He scoffed, "Nothing. I just picked it up because I was bored."  


"Was it that book about lizards?" Molly asked him, "You like lizards?"  


"No," Sylvie replied a little too quickly, "Not at all."  


Molly looked at him strangely. "Okay," she murmured slowly.  


"It's okay if you want the book," Giovanni told him.  


"I don't!" Sylvie stammered back, "And besides, I don't have any money with me at the moment."  


"That doesn't matter, I'll get you it."  


"I'm not stealing a book either."  


"I never said I would steal it." Normally, Sylvie wouldn't trust someone in the Banzai Blasters to not steal something, but Giovanni looked pretty genuine. Or maybe some part of Sylvie was still hoping to be his friend.  


"Look, I know you still don't trust me, but if it really makes you uncomfortable, I won't steal when you're around and I'm not on duty," Giovanni whispered to him as to not be overheard. Between this and last night, Sylvie really did not know what was going on.  


"Ok," Sylvie said, believing Giovanni's words against his better judgement.  


"If you see anything you want, just tell me," Giovanni told him. Giovanni took Molly's hand in his own and began walking towards the cash register. Sylvie began to follow, but stopped suddenly when he felt movement in his pocket. He put a gentle hand over it and shooshed it, and the movement stopped.  


"Find everything you were looking for today?" Asked the clerk with an anxiously forced smile.  


"Sure did!" Giovanni answered her, placing Molly's book on the desk. The clerk scanned it and wrapped it up in a plastic bag. Molly reached for the bag, and the clerk handed it to her.  


"Your sister is adorable," she said to Giovanni with a real smile.  


Giovanni flushed. "Sister? She's not- My-" he chuckled nervously, "Th- Thank you ma'am."  


"I'm not his sister," Molly stated bluntly.  


"O- Oh," stuttered the clerk, looking anxious again.  


"But thanks for calling me cute!" Molly continued, leaving the desk with a small wave.  


"Come on, slowpoke!" Giovanni semi-shouted to Sylvie, who was still standing in between two bookshelves.  


"Sorry, I'm coming!" Sylvie apologised, surprised, as he had been jostled out of his thoughts once again. He rushed towards his friends without really running. If there is anything you don't do in a bookstore, its run. The three exited the store together. Pulling out his phone, Giovanni checked the time.  


"Oh dear, it's 4 o'clock!" He grumbled. "My mom will be home in, like, an hour, and she said that if the house isn't clean when she gets back, she's taking my car keys. That would be… Really bad. And not just because I like to drive. I need to get you guys home eventually, and how would I do that without them?"  


"We'd better head back to your house, then," Sylvie remarked.  


"Yeah," agreed Molly.  


"That's what I was about to suggest," Giovanni told them, leading the way back to the parking lot they used. As they passed the pet store again, Sylvie scowled at the hamster cages, and at the memory of tiny tank they had kept the lizard in.  


Just as they were headed out the door, a mall security guard pointed to Giovanni and asked, "Hey, weren't you one of the guys that broke our horse ride?"  


Giovanni was dead quiet for three full seconds. "No. That was some other guy," he answered curtly. Then he grabbed Sylvie by the sleeve and Molly by the hand and pulled them out of the mall. They each ran towards the car. It had begun to snow while they were inside, and the pavement was slick, causing them to slip a bit as they ran, but miraculously, no one fell down.  


"Get in," Giovanni commanded them, opening the backseat door and practically tossed them into the car. Giovanni jumped in behind the wheel, and turned the ignition. "That mall cop is chasing us."  


"He's a security guard, not a mall cop," Sylvie corrected.  


Molly looked back as Giovanni pulled out the car. Sure enough, the security guard had been chasing them. He seemed to be having more trouble running across the slippery parking lot than they had. He kept stumbling and falling. Her view of him was fleeting, however. Giovanni drove off, not quickly by any means because of the snow, but faster than a person could run, because that's how cars work.  


"Were you really the one to break the horse ride?" Molly asked, half in shock and half impressed.  


"No," Giovanni chuckled, "That was Dark Star." He smiled as a wave of nostalgia swept over him. "Good times… Also, put your seatbelts on. I know I didn't really give you time to, and I apologize. That was not very safe."  


Sylvie and Molly both put their seatbelts on.  


"I suppose you have a problem with the whole horse thing, huh, nerd boy?" Giovanni jeered.  


"Normally I would," Sylvie answered dryly.  


Giovanni laughed victoriously. "The amazing Giovanni Potage is too awesome to be angry at once again!"  


"Yeah," Sylvie murmured, "sure."  


Soon, they were back at the house. It was snowing pretty hard now, and they all rushed inside.  


"I'm going to go put this with my stuff!" Molly announced, holding up the plastic bag with her book in it for all to see. Then she scurried off to the guest bedroom.  


Giovanni look back to Sylvie. "So we should probably start cleaning the living ro-" He stopped abruptly mid-sentence.  


"W- What?" Sylvie asked, looking incredibly nervous.  


Giovanni blinked at him. "Well, it's just. You look very pale. Is something the matter? Did you catch a cold in all that snow."  


"I- no?" Sylvie stammered. He had a guilty expression on his face.  


"What's wrong?" Giovanni demanding.  


"I- oh…" Sylvie muttered, "Oh, I did something… Please don't be mad."  


"Why would I-?"  


Sylvie reached into his pocket and pulled out the lizard from the pet store. Giovanni looked from. Sylvie to the lizard in complete shock. "His name is Lev," Sylvie mumbled, "He just looked so sad, and you said that the hamsters weren't in the proper enclosures, and it looked like they didn't have the right one for him either and-!"  


"Awwwwww!" Giovanni cut him off, "You stole! Baby's first crime!"  


"It- It wasn't a crime!" Sylvie shouted defensively, "They weren't taking proper care of him."  


"What wasn't a crime?" Molly asked, walking back into the room.  


"Sylvie stole a lizard!" Giovanni exclaimed.  


"I did NOT steal him!" Sylvie yelled, "I rescued him!"  


"Then why did you look so guilty?" Giovanni asked in a mocking tone.  


Sylvie felt his cheeks heating up. "I just-! I didn't-!" He sighed, defeated. "What if you got mad because I took the lizard after you promised not to steal when I was around?"  
Giovanni paused. "I didn't think of it like that."  


There was a quiet moment between the three of them. "It still wasn't stealing…" Sylvie pouted.  


"Whatever," Giovanni sighed, blatantly not believing him, "Just help me get this place spick and span before my mom gets home."  


"Ok," Sylvie and Molly both agreed in unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapters might be a little slow this week. I have finals this Wednesday through Friday.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot of hurt/comfort. Prepare for feels. You have been warned.  
> ~  
> Someone help these dang kids, darn it!

They managed to tidy up the house with ten minutes to spare. Giovanni made it clear that his mom was not expecting guests, so after they finished, Molly and Sylvie hid in the guest bedroom. Apparently, Giovanni's mom never goes in the room. She basically forgot it was there. As long as they were quiet, they wouldn't be caught.  
Sylvie was curled up with one of his sheep on his lap. With one hand, he ran his fingers through the soft wool, something he often did without thinking. His other hand was laid out with his palm opened, with Lev perched there, standing tall like he was a guardian. His beady eyes seemed to scan over the room, back and forth and then back again, endlessly, like the vigil had been his only responsibility in life.  
Sylvie looked down at the lizard, wondering what he might be thinking as he watched over the room. Lev looked so faithful and unshaking, as if he was standing his ground to an unseen opposition. Lev's head tilted a bit, and he looked at Sylvie and blinked, just for a second, and then continued to look around the room. Sylvie thought that, perhaps, Lev was trying to answer the questions in his own mind. Sylvie squeezed his eyes shut, dispelling the thought. Lizards could not understand human language, and they certainly could not understand something that had been thought instead of spoken. He didn't know why he had thought up something so childish.  
Sitting a few feet away, Molly was laying on the floor on her stomach. She held her new book firmly in her hands, a big smile and wide eyes on her face. She was very clearly emersed. She had asked Sylvie politely if he could summon a sheep for her to cuddle with a well, and was now using hers as a pillow to rest her chin against as she read. The sheep didn't seem to mind, and Sylvie admitted to doing the same. Suddenly, the spell-like effect of reading lifted from her, because she felt like she was being watched. When she peeked over the top of her book, Lev blinked at her as if her surprised amused him, and then looked away. She thought it was funny, so she wasn't angry her reading had been interrupted.  
She saw Sylvie was deep in his thoughts, as usual. He still seemed somewhat distraught. She grabbed her sheep and gave it a quick but tight hug. It looked up at her lazily and bumped its wooly head against her own gently. She grabbed her sheep and scooted up to Sylvie.  
"Oh. Hey," Sylvie greeted her quietly. He looked towards her, but his eyes were distant, like he could see beyond her.  
"You doing all right?" She asked.  
"Yeah," he sighed, "I just wish…" He trailed off. What did he wish? That he was less childish, or that he didn't feel bad for being childish? Or, even more than that, did he wish someone would tell him it was ok to be childish? For the first time in his life, did he actually wish to be treated like a kid and act like other kids do? He had never wanted it before, so what changed?  
"Oh no! I didn't mean to upset you!" Molly exclaimed.  
Sylvie looked at her in surprise. "What?" Sure, he felt really bad, and way past confused, but she didn't upset him. ...Right?  
“Sylvie,” Molly said gently, “You’re crying.”  
“I’m-” He mumbled to himself. Realization crossed his face as he put a shaky hand to his face and felt hot tears. “I’m crying.” He turned to Molly. “Why am I crying?”  
Molly looked at him in bewilderment. “How am I supposed to know?”  
“I don’t know. I’m so confused…” Sylvie sighed.  
Molly put an arm around him. Sylvie tensed up at the touch, but then leaned into it with a discontented hum. He was slowly getting used to physical contact. “I don’t know how to help, but if you tell me something I could to to help, I can try,” She told him.  
“The problem’s me, I think,” he murmured.  
“How come you think that?” Molly asked, her eyes wide with worry.  
He stuttered incoherently, struggling to find the right words. “I always seem to screw things up. When I’m talking to people, I mean. And how I treat myself. I think I realized, sometime with you guys, that I’m not okay.”  
Molly looked at the floor and nodded in understanding. “Sometimes it can be hard to take care of yourself,” The sheep Sylvie had summoned for her earlier trotted over to her and began cuddling against her. It gave a concerned “Baa” at her. She stroked it’s fleece. “But why do you think you’re a bad friend?”  
“Well, I guess I’m as bad at keeping friends as I am at making them,” He explained, “Remember back at the museum? When we very first met?”  
She nodded yes in response. How could she forget? The sheep, the fire, the spectacular appearance of Dr. Beefton… At the time, it had been terrifying, but in hindsight, it was, well, still terrifying, but also impressive. Sylvie managed everything so well, even if he had been defeated. He was strong, and yet, somehow, still fifteen years old.  
It was quiet for a moment. “Why?” He asked, a little choked up, his voice quiet. “Why did you want to be my friend?”  
“Why wouldn’t I?” She asked.  
“After everything I did to you?”  
She looked down. She felt a twinge of guilt. At first, she had asked to be his friend out of convenience, because being on friendly terms with him would mean that they’d have a better chance at going up against Mera. She hadn’t even really forgiven him for using his nightmare fuel on her until after he gave her his card. But afterwards, when the fight was over, she realized she really did want to be friends, especially after he saved her. Why would she withhold friendship from somebody who was willing to lose her epithet for her. He could have lost his epithet forever, and yet, for some reason, he’d rather it be him that her. Looking back, he was just really desperate for friends, and when he finally got one, he saw it was about to immediately be ripped from him, so he did whatever he could to stop that. Molly felt a horrible mix of emotions as it hit her. Sylvie would have rather lived his life without his epithet than lose the only friend he ever had- her.  
“I couldn’t not be your friend after you saved me,” she answered finally, “You could’ve let her take my epithet, but you sacrificed yours.”  
“It’s not a big deal,” he mumbled, “I got it back.”  
“Not a big deal?” She exclaimed, “How is that not a big deal? I can’t even imagine what that was like!”  
Sylvie was quiet. Softly, he answered, “It was like being empty. Weak. It wasn’t like being me but with less sheep, it was like I didn’t know who I was.”  
Molly gave him a hug, Lev quickly scurrying away before he could be crushed. “So it wasn’t ‘not a big deal’ huh?”  
Suddenly, his emotions seized him. He hugged back, for the first time in his life noticing he liked being hugged, wishing it had happened more often before he had a friend to hug him. Tears streamed down his face. Luckily, he was quiet crier, because too much noise would have alerted Giovanni’s mother, who was certainly home by now. “Thank you,” he whispered, not entirely coherently, to Molly, over and over again. “Thank you.”  
Molly held onto him until he had no more tears to cry. When he looked up, he saw there were tears in her eyes too. “You know, while we’re talking about the museum…” she muttered, “After Mera took your epithet, and then threw you like that- You looked really not good and you weren't moving. I thought, maybe you had- Well, I think you get it.”  
“Well, I’m glad I didn’t.” He chuckled a little bit, in spite of himself.  
“I don’t know what I’d do,” she continued, “If someone died trying to save me. I’ve already lost too much.”  
Now it was his turn to hug her, except he didn’t quite know how. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her. Was he doing this right? He figured it was too late to try again and do better because she had begun to cling to his hoodie and cry into it. She was trying to be quiet, but she wasn’t nearly as quiet a crier as he was.  
“You could have lost your Epithet because of me,” She squeaked between sobs, “You could’ve died! And it would have been my fault.”  
“I can hardly see how it was your fault,” he told her, his voice wavering as the frightening reality that she was right- he could’ve died -sunk in, “Mera was the one who did it.”  
“You didn’t have to,” She whispered, “You didn’t have to, but you did it for me. I don’t get it.”  
Sylvie stopped to think of how to tell her all the reasons why he did it. He couldn’t just let it happen, he was sure Mera was going to take his epithet one way or another (she had already tried to), Molly was just too nice for him to let her epithet get taken, he didn’t want to lose his only friend… All the reasons popped up in his mind, and yet he felt unable to articulate a single one of them. “You don’t have to understand,” Sylvie settled on telling her, “Just believe me when I say I don’t regret it.”  
“I regret it.”  
“Don’t,” he suggested bluntly.  
“Easier said than done,” she said, laughing through her tears a tiny bit.  
“With what I did before, with my nightmare fuel, if I hadn’t done anything, I think I’d be an irredeemable friend,” he admitted.  
“Either way, I would have forgiven you,” She promised faintly, her tears finally starting to wane.  
“I wouldn’t have,” he confessed.  
Molly stares at him with big, sad eyes. It was the stare of someone who was feeling hurt for you. Overwhelming empathy, something he was a little too familiar with. “You forgive yourself now, right?” She asked.  
Sylvie thought for a moment. “Not completely,” he admitted, “But someday, I will.”  
Molly modded. “It’s a start. As long as you’re trying. And as long as you forgive yourself someday.”  
He sniffled. If he hadn’t already cried until he burnt himself out, he would have started crying again.  
“This hug is really awkward,” Molly told him with a tearful giggle.  
He shrunk away. “Sorry, I knew it’d be bad, I just-“  
She shooshed him. “Here,” she said, wrapping him in a nice hug, “Like this.”  
He hugged back. “Yeah. This is better.”  
Giovanni suddenly swung the door open, “Good news, guys. My mom and her gal pals are having a little girls night, so-“ he stopped short when he saw the two, holding each other tightly like their lives depended on it (although neither Sylvie nor Molly had noticed just how tight the hug was). He saw tears still dripping down Molly’s face, and that Sylvie had very obviously been crying as well. “Oh, you two,” Giovanni muttered softly.  
He joined them, pulling both of them into a significantly softer but equally loving hug. He didn’t need to ask what had happened. He just wanted to be there for them. He was starting to realize that all he ever wanted was to be there for them. It was like destiny had brought these kids to him. He needed them, and they needed him. He felt his own eyes begin to burn, but he held back the tears for their sake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesus, five chapters already??? I didn’t intend on this Fic getting as long as it is now. I’m glad it is though. This is just... Amazing! And I love all the support you’ve all given me so far. Seriously, if it weren’t for all the lovely comments, this Fic would have never reached this point. I love all you readers. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so quick heads up- This chapter is straight up angst. There's very little fluff at all, and even the stuff that might be classified as fluff by some is pretty heavy.  
> This chapter may be triggering as well, especially triggers related to abuse, self-hatred, and possibly those with suicidal thoughts, depending on how you interpret it (It wasn't intended but while revising I realized that maybe it had undertones).  
> I didn't mean for it to get so dark, and even considered cutting the chapter or rewriting it differently, but sometimes for a character to begin to get the help they need they have to be at their lowest, so I kept it.  
> Just a heads up.

Molly let out a yawn as she watched cartoons on the tv. The cartoon playing right now wasn't even something she liked, it was just that she was in that hazy phase of sleepy were you just don't care what you're watching. Her eyelids grew heavier by the minute. Everything was calm, and strangely familiar, even though she was still new to Giovanni's house. She did not sleep very well in new locations. Often on trips she would not sleep for days on end; a week spent two cities over would be three or four days without sleep. This was different. There was a strange calm. Everything was okay, for once.  
Her hair was wet, as Giovanni had insisted that she and Sylvie take showers while his mom was gone and they had the chance. In his words, "It's self care, which is what you guys need, and I won't allow you two to go without." Sylvie then pointed out that he and Molly only had brought the clothes they were wearing, to which Giovanni responded by searching high and low for something for them to wear. He managed to find her some adorable pajamas in a box somewhere that belonged to him when he was her age. It was still a little too large for her, but she really liked it. The pajama pants had a pattern of dolphins, sharks, and whales on it, while the shirt had similarly designed sleeves and a giant whale on the very front. Text above the whale read "Whale of a Time!" And Molly immediately loved it the moment he gave it to her.  
Sylvie sat across from her, also watching the cartoon, a look of absolute disgust on his face while he watched, which Molly couldn't blame him for. He was sitting with his legs crossed, dressed in an oversized, plain white, short sleeved tee and sweatpants that went over the top of his feet. Giovanni had pulled them out of his dresser, so it was all many sizes too big on Sylvie, who not only was four years younger than Giovanni, but also short for a fifteen year old. Sylvie had protested wearing the clothes because they'd make him look like a child, but somehow Giovanni coaxed him into wearing them. Although she couldn't understand where it had come from, Molly could tell, when it happened, that Sylvie was grateful after hearing it all.  
It was unforgettable.  
Giovanni said, "There's nothing wrong with childish things."  
Sylvie said, "Not for most people."  
Giovanni said, "You don't have to pretend for us."  
And the way Sylvie had smiled, that was the truly unforgettable part. It was a smile that was full of thanks; it reminded her of how mere hours before he had wept to her, repeating "Thank you, thank you," over and over again. The kind of smile you see someone who had been forgiven for something they thought was unforgivable; but what, in his mind, would that have been? In light of their last conversation, Molly knew that it could have been anything. Sylvie did not easily forgive himself, and did not think others could, or should, forgive him. Honestly, to say she was concerned for him was, by now, an understatement. He did not know how to hug, he shrank away from touch, he always was exhausted (or almost always, anyways), and he did not care for himself, let alone let someone else care for him, though if that was because he felt he should be able to take care of himself or because he felt he didn't deserve it, she didn't know.  
There was improvement, though, she noted, as Giovanni walked in, carrying two blankets. He handed one to her, and she happily threw it over herself, and curled up into a ball under it with only her head uncovered. The other he held out to Sylvie, softly patting the top of his head with his free hand. Sylvie inhaled sharply when he felt Giovanni's hand on his head, but he did not try to avoid it or even tense up. Sylvie accepted the blanket without looking at Giovanni, and wrapped it tightly around him.  
The droning of the tv, the sound of wind still blowing snow about, and the warmth of the blanket were quickly beckoning Molly towards sleep. It didn't help that the only light came from the hallway, leaving the living room mostly dark. Molly was not used to falling asleep so early, but she knew that nine was the appropriate time for kids her age to fall asleep. It had been her bedtime when he mom was still alive. Remembering her mom made her heart feel heavy, but she was too tired to get really emotional. She decided to let sleep take her. She wanted to savor the calm of Giovanni's house, hauntingly familiar of the home she had before it was just her, her dad, and her sister. Hauntingly familiar was the feeling of someone caring for her.  
Molly's thoughts dissolved into quiet sleep. Her hushed breathing was steady and content. Giovanni stroked her hair with fatherly pride. Many times, he had snuck into her own house to talk to her, only to find her asleep, and the way she slept now, he noticed, was nothing like the way she slept at her home. At home, she slept clutching her blankets, like she was afraid. Now, there was tranquillity, gentleness, trust. When he could tell she was soundly asleep, he picked her up and took her to the guest bedroom.  
He returned to the living room.  
"Is she asleep?" Sylvie asked, still not looking at Giovanni. Instead, he opted on looking down at one of his counting sheep, which was attempting to graze on the hem of his way too big t-shirt.  
"Yeah," Giovanni answered, "What about you? You should get off to bed too."  
"I'd rather not," Sylvie sighed, then glared up at the tv, "But I'd rather not watch this, either."  
"You don't have to go to sleep yet, then," Giovanni compromised, "And we'll turn off the tv. We can hang out in my room."  
Sylvie nodded, standing up, still holding the blanket so that it draped around him. Giovanni switched off the tv. He walked to his room, and Sylvie followed quietly. They stood in an awkward silence, waiting for one of them to say something. Lev was happily pacing around in the makeshift cage they made for him, his eyes happily darting to Sylvie when he entered the room. Giovanni stared at Sylvie as well, and Sylvie looked at the floor, in his usual, overthinking kind of contemplation.  
"You want to play a board game?" Giovanni suggested slowly, mostly to not have to listen to silence any further. He didn't particularly want to, and neither did Sylvie by the looks of it, but maybe it would get Sylvie's mind off of whatever he was thinking of.  
"Sure," Sylvie replied dryly.  
Giovanni could tell that the game would not help. Sylvie had that tone he got whenever he was upset, and he would stop staring at the floor. "Okay, buddy, what's up? You know you can tell me, right?"  
Sylvie nodded, finally looking up. "Giovanni, are we-?" He sighed. It was such a silly question, but he needed to know, "Are we… Friends?"  
Giovanni wanted to laugh and say "THAT'S what's bothering you?" but he said no such thing. He could never say that to Sylvie. He knew the kid well enough to know better than that. Instead, Giovanni gently answered, "Of course."  
Sylvie looked up at him, with a thankful smile. "I was hoping-" He cut himself off. He didn't want to seem like a clingy sap.  
"What were you hoping?" Giovanni asked.  
Shoot, now he had to finish saying it. Sylvie continued, "I was hoping you'd want to be my friend, I just-" Why did it make him feel so weak, so vulnerable, to say? "-Didn't think that you would ever want to be my friend."  
Giovanni felt really bad after hearing that, because two short days ago, he would have said that he'd never be Sylvie's friend in a million, trillion years. Now? He was so wrong. There was no way he would leave Sylvie alone like this. Even if Sylvie claimed that he could take care of himself perfectly well, Giovanni could tell the boy lacked guidance badly. "I couldn't not," Giovanni told him carefully.  
Sylvie laughed, a mix of bitterness and being genuinely humored. "Molly said the same thing. I don't understand it. Nobody before had ever said that, or even wanted me. Somehow, now, you guys couldn't not."  
"You're just easy to start caring for," Giovanni explained further.  
"Be honest," Sylvie told him, "Am I your friend out of pity?"  
Giovanni gasped, "What? Of course not! Why would you think that?"  
He shouldn't answer. He really shouldn't. Saying the reason would mean admitting it to himself, and he couldn't, even if he knew it was true. Yet, Sylvie felt he couldn't help himself. There was something about Giovanni that made Sylvie come out of his shell, and maybe it was how he always seemed to know what to say, the way he just would know exactly what Sylvie needed to hear.  
Sylvie took a deep, shaky breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. "My parents. Before I left, they always complained about how much of a pain I was to take care of. When I would forget to eat, my parents would tell me how difficult it was to feed me, and when I didn't sleep, or slept too much, there was more, just them telling me how bad a kid was. They never seemed to actually want to help, they only made it known that I was hard to care for. Eventually, they stopped trying completely. They wouldn't complain anymore. They didn't talk to me at all, honestly, only glare or shake their heads. The only thing I could do was get good grades. Besides that, I was the disappointment! I would hear them talking to their friends, saying things like I was impossible and I betrayed them because I was like…" he sighed and gestured to himself, "...This."  
"Sylvie, I'm so sorry," Giovanni breathed, "But you got away, right? Someone else cares for you now?"  
Sylvie shook his head. "I ran away. I couldn't take it anymore. The second I had my degree, I hit the road. I got my job, used the money to pay for an apartment, and it's just been me. It's not that bad. Not as bad as it was before, at least. But I couldn't ask for help. I am just too hard for someone to take care of. After so long of taking care of myself, I know my parents were right. I am awful to take care of."  
"Garbage." Giovanni's comment echoed in Sylvie's ears.  
"What?"  
"That's absolute garbage. You are not a burden, and you deserve to be taken care of."  
"If it's so easy, why don't you try it. Then you'll see…"  
"I have been. I've been taking care of you this whole weekend! Since Friday night! It has been nothing but amazing caring for you, Dr. Sylvester Ashling!"  
Sylvie stood in silence. He shook his head, as if to clear it. "No. I appreciate the gesture, but you don't have to spare my feelings."  
Giovanni sighed with a pang of sadness. He'd have to be patient. Sylvie needed him more than ever now. "I'm not lying. Look at me. I'm not lying." Sylvie curled further towards himself instead of looking. "Sylvie, look at me. I'm not lying."  
Sylvie finally looked up. "Stop!" He begged, tears running down his face, "Stop making me feel so nice! I don't deserve this!"  
Giovanni walked over to Sylvie, placing his hand gently on his shoulder, but Sylvie sharply pulled away with a whimper. "Sylvie, no matter what you think, you are worth it. Your parents made you feel terrible, and that's not fair, but now they are gone! You have the power to change this. You just have to learn to forgive yourself, and let someone help you." Giovanni held out a welcoming hand. "Let me help you."  
No. No. What was this? A trick? Did Giovanni need him to do something for him? He couldn't actually be cared for, and it wasn't possible for him to be an enjoyable person. Sylvie shuttered. He needed to get out of here! He needed to get out right now!  
Before Giovanni could react, Sylvie dashed out of the room. Giovanni stood there stunned, as the sound of the front door slamming shut rang out in his ears. "Sylvie," he breathed to himself in shock. "Sylvie!" He exclaimed.  
Giovanni didn't like the idea of leaving Molly here all alone, but there wasn't time to wake her, and he wasn't sure he wanted her to be a part of this if she didn't need to be. He himself was terrified as he ran out the door. The cold was horrid, and he still had his hoodie on. Snow whipped around him, and it was dark, making it nearly impossible to see. "Sylvie!" He called out into the emptiness, desperately hoping that Sylvie would find it in himself to call back. "Sylvie!"  
He stumbled blindly through the snow, which had been piling up since that afternoon. He definitely wasn't traveling in a straight line, nor was he very graceful, nearly slipping and falling to the ground every other step. "Sylvie! Sylvester!" He called. "Please…"  
It seemed hopeless. But then- "Gio… Vanni…"  
Oh good god. Sylvie was there, collapsed in the snow. Giovanni lifted him up tenderly. He felt tears forming in his eyes.  
"No," Sylvie weakly protested, "I don't… Want…"  
"I don't care," Giovanni sobbed, clutching Sylvie close to his chest in an attempt to shield him from the snow. Sylvie was trembling violently. Giovanni remember, with the feeling of something dropping in the pit of his stomach, that Sylvie was only in that short sleeved t-shirt as opposed to his usual orange hoodie. "I'm going to get you home."  
Giovanni hurried back to the house as fast as he could. As he carried Sylvie, Sylvie couldn't help but begin to overthink again. "So this is what I've come to," he thought, his eyes shut tight, "I've only proved my own uselessness." Sometimes, he wondered by he, as a psychologist, would think these things about himself, yet tell his patients that they were not thier words or thoughts. But he was different than his patients. "My patients are good people. I am not."  
Suddenly, the freezing cold was cut by warmth. They were in the house. Sylvie didn't dare open his eyes. He couldn't bare to look at Giovanni, to see the disappointment, to know that he was correct, his parents had been correct. He felt the rough texture of a towel brushing against him, wiping away the wet snow. His teeth were still chattering. Giovanni's were too, probably, but he still couldn't bring himself to open his eyes. And once the towel was gone, there were blankets all around him, cocooning him the way he had cocooned himself the night before, and then some. So tight and snug you wouldn't even notice that he had been ready to freeze out in the snow just minutes ago.  
"C'mon, kid, wake up!" He heard Giovanni hiss under his breath, "Stay with me."  
Giovanni wanted him to open his eyes, but he still couldn't do it. He couldn't face him.  
He heard Giovanni curse under his breath, which both surprised Sylvie, and didn't. "You're breathing, so why? Why won't you wake up."  
No. He couldn't. He just couldn't.   
"Damn it, Sylvie!" Giovanni cried, his voice breaking. Sylvie felt Giovanni put his head down on the cocoon of blankets. Giovanni couldn't mask his tears any longer. "Please don't die."  
Finally, Sylvie found it in himself to flutter his eyes open. "I don't… Understand…"  
Giovanni looked at him tearfully. "Goodness gracious, kid, your nearly gave be a heart attack!" Giovanni yelled at him.  
"Why would you… Go through all that… To save me…?" Sylvie murmured.   
"Sylvie, you dweeb, I don't know how you haven't figured it out! I care! You and Molly, your both like kids to me! I love you guys!" Giovanni confessed, "You have to understand this! I love both of you! You're my best friends! I love both of you, and that means I love you, Sylvie! You are loved! Don't you dare ever forget that!"  
Hearing the words would have been like a slap to the face if Sylvie had been in a more coherent state. His breathing became uneasy. He would have cried, but he was still too cold to do anything. He could barely move, or even feel his fingers. He tried wiggling them but he didn’t know if they did or not. Sylvie groaned. It was like he was in pain, but there was no hurt; in fact, he felt nothing at all. At least, not physically.   
"I won't," Sylvie breathed, "I won't forget."  
Giovanni shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it. I just can't." He whispered too quietly for Sylvie to hear, because certainly it would do more harm than good, but he needed to say it to himself. To reassure himself that this was shocking, that if he had been told this would happen earlier he wouldn't have believed it. Because if he didn't, then surely he could have done something to prevent it, he could have done more, knew how to help beyond what he already had. As Giovanni listened to Sylvie's sporadic breathing, he wished he could do something, say something, that could change Sylvie's mind, some sort of comfort that was surely there, just out of his reach, because if there wasn't a way to convince Sylvie that he was a good and worthy person, then what hope was there for the kid?  
Giovanni looked down at Sylvie, taking in just how bad he looked, cheeks and nose red with cold, still shivering terribly, and his expression only showing distress. Giovanni was not sure if he could console Sylvie in the state he was in, but maybe he could help him feel somewhat better, even if it was a tiny amount. He put his chilly fingers against Sylvie's hair, grimacing at the icy cold he felt, and stroked it gently. "Shhhh…" he hummed gently, "Shhhhh…"  
Sylvie couldn't feel it so much as he felt the vague impression of movement, but he could hear the shooshing. It was soothing, despite the circumstances. It continued indefinitely, even after Giovanni's mother had returned from her night out, and he quickly flicked the lights off to pretend he was asleep so she wouldn't walk in. When the lights went out, the pure exhaustion of it all kicked in, and with the small amount of solace he had in Giovanni's action, Sylvie eventually drifted to sleep. It was one of the few times in his life Sylvie had slept a dreamless sleep. A part of him preferred it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof-


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's some fluff to make up for all the angst last chapter. Special thanks to the people who stuck with me since the very beginning of the fic, and made it worth while. I would have given up without all the support.  
> This fic might as well be dedicated to avocadophobic, whose long, helpful, and fun comments I would wait for after every chapter. You had me refreshing my feed on hourly intervals. Thank you. :)

Soft sunlight streamed onto the boys' faces, shining in from the window. Sylvie peeked one tired eye open. He sighed discontentedly as glimpses of memories from the previous night passed through his mind. He was still exhausted, but he sat up. He felt too inactive, but he was also very discombobulated. "Strange," he thought through the daze, "That after a dreamless sleep, being awake feels like a dream." As the world became less surreal to Sylvie, he noticed he was not alone. Giovanni had been curled up next to him. With a wave of an emotion he couldn't describe, Sylvie realized that Giovanni had never left him. Sylvie didn't know how he felt, or rather, how he should feel, about this. On one hand, he knew he could fully trust Giovanni, he knew Giovanni cared, and this was the first time in a long time he actually felt close to an adult- even if Giovanni was barely into his adulthood. On the other hand, he had become an inconvenience again. Giovanni surely would have preferred not to sleep on the floor next to him right?  
Giovanni's sleepy voice broke Sylvie's train of thought. "You're awake already."  
Sylvie looked down at Giovanni, who hadn't moved besides that he now had a gentle smile on his face. Sylvie hadn't yet worked out how he felt, but his eyes quickly darted from Giovanni to his own hands, which were fidgeting with one another. "I'm sorry you had to sleep on the floor… With me…"  
"What? You don't have to be sorry," Giovanni told him, rubbing his eyes before pushing himself up. "It was my decision. I was a little worried."  
"Well, then, I'm sorry I worried you," Sylvie mumbled.  
"Look, you don't need to apologize for anything," Giovanni explained, "But I understand that maybe you just need to say something. I do that too sometimes. So I accept your apology."  
"Thank you," Sylvie breathed, relieved. There was a pause. "Look, about what happened-"  
"No. Stop," Giovanni cut him off, "We aren't talking about it today. It's just not the time. Give it a while, a day or two to recuperate, and then we can talk."  
Sylvie could nearly here his own words echoing in Giovanni's. This felt like the kind of thing he would tell one of his patients. It made him laugh, although sounding empty, "You'd make a pretty good psychologist, Giovanni."  
"I think not," Giovanni laughed back, "Never in a million years. I like crime." He paused for a moment, reviewing what he had said over in his head to make sure it wasn't hurtful. "But thanks for the suggestion," he added.  
There was silence again. Sylvie stood up.  
"Hey, where are you going?" Giovanni asked.  
"I can't sit there anymore. I need to do something. It feels like if I do something, anything, maybe I can make up for it, the problem will just go away." Sylvie had begun walking around aimlessly as he talked, look for something purposeful to do.  
"Sylvie," Giovanni muttered, "That isn't healthy. Don't let your guilt get the better of you." There it was again. That therapist sounding part of Giovanni. "Listen, today we are going to chill out and have fun!" And there was the Giovanni part of Giovanni, which Sylvie somehow liked more. "We aren't going to even think about anything that happened last night until we're ready. Okay?"  
"Okay," Sylvie agreed.  
Giovanni stood up also. He walked over to Sylvie. "C'mon. Let's go watch a cartoon or something."  
Mindless entertainment. That would distract them.  
"Let's see if that one is on again," Sylvie suggested, "That one, um… Magical Madness!"  
"Ah, yes, good thinking!" Giovanni agreed. They both walked over to the door, and Giovanni opened it. As they walked into the hall, they noticed the sound of the tv was already buzzing in the background. "Mom?" Giovanni called in aprehension, stepping in front of a very nervous Sylvie in an attempt to block him from view.  
"She left," Molly answered from the living room.  
Giovanni and Sylvie both sighed in relief. As he entered the room, Giovanni asked, "She left already?"  
Molly nodded. "But she left a note in the kitchen saying that she was running late so she didn't wake you before she went to work. It also said she hoped you would wake up at a reasonable hour."  
"Well, what time is it?" Giovanni asked.  
"Eleven," Molly answered, glancing at her phone.  
"Oh, well. Sorry Mom."  
"You guys slept super soundly. I tried to wake you up earlier, but you wouldn't respond to my knocking, so I went inside, but then you both we're on the floor, and I thought 'Something happened here, and it was not good' so I left."  
"Sorry, Beartrap," Giovanni mumbled.  
"Well, I only have a few more hours before I should head home, so what should we do?" Molly asked.  
With the knowledge that Molly would soon have to leave, the idea of cartoons quickly left Giovanni and Sylvie. They both thought about what they could possibly do. What was the best way to top a sleepover like This one? Slowly, Sylvie murmured, barely audibly, "We could build a pillow fort."  
"What was that?" Giovanni asked, "Speak up." Neither of these kids could speak up for themselves, and he was going to have to change that.  
"We could build a pillow fort," Sylvie suggested again, still a bit sheepish, but loud enough for both Giovanni and Molly to hear, which was a start.  
"That's a great idea!" Molly exclaimed.  
"Yeah!" Giovanni agreed, "A great big pillow fort with all the blankets and pillows we can find! Except for the ones in my mom's room. I’m not allowed to touch those."  
"Let's use my sleeping spot, too. I won't need it again, after all,” Sylvie added.  
“I’ll get stuff from the room I was in too!” Molly chimed in.  
The three of them all ran off in different directions. Molly dashed into the guest bedroom, and plucked the pillows from the bed, and a one from the floor where it had fallen in the night. She ran back into the living room and dumped her pillows into the pile that was beginning to form because of Giovanni. He begun to remove pillows from the couches, and had them carelessly piled in the middle of the room. Molly ran back into the guest room, yanking the sheets and comforter off the bed, leaving it quite bare. She poked into the closet, and was rewarded for her curiosity with a spare blanket. She returned to the living room, tossing the blankets and sheets onto the pile one by one. She watched as they stretched outward as they were thrown, and slowly drifted down onto the pile, covering the pillows. She double checked the guest room, finding another, smaller pillow under the bed. Once she was sure there was nothing left in the room, she began helping Giovanni take the cushions in the living room.  
Sylvie had gone back to his nest of blankets, and began to dissect it. He started by pulling out the pillows and stacking them neatly in an out-of-the-way space. When the majority of pillows had been collected, or he thought so at least, but it was impossible to tell through the mess of blankets, he began collecting and folding the blankets and stacking them next to the pillows in an orderly fashion. Often, he found a pillow wrapped and tangled in a blanket, or under many layers of sheets, and he added it to the stack he had made. When he finally finished, the pillows formed a tower half his height, and the blankets were nearly the same. He’d have to make multiple trips to bring them to the living room. “How does he have so many?” Sylvie wondered to himself, lifting up half of the stack, and carrying it to the living room. Sylvie noticed the haphazard pile of pillows and blankets, and asked, “Really guys?” Molly and Giovanni just grinned and shrugged.  
With a sigh, Sylvie emptied his arms of the pillows, not even bothering to straighten them as they tumbled down. They landed scattered, as messy as the rest of the pile. They were going to get knocked down anyways. He did the same with the rest of his pillows, grimacing each time. When he brought in the blankets, managing to bring them all in at once, he did place them down gently as they were. He then watched as Giovanni, who had began to grab things from his bed, threw a pillow onto the pile from across the hallway and caused the blanket tower to collapse. “Whatever,” Sylvie muttered to himself, a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth never-the-less.  
Giovanni, who had just chucked the last of his bed’s pillows onto the pile, pulled all the sheets, the comforter, and spare blankets folded at the foot of his bed, off. He bunched all of them up in his arms. Just like that, his formerly nicely made bed was completely bare. He opened on of the drawers near his bedside, pulling out more blankets. He returned to the living room, and dumped the blankets onto the pile.  
“Giovanni, where did you get all these blankets from?” Molly asked.  
“Oh, my mom’s current partner has a chilly epithet, so we have all these blankets around the house for when she stays over, since she’s often cold,” He explained.  
“I didn’t know your mom had a partner,” Molly remarked.  
Giovanni shrugged. “It never came up, so I never said anything. But yeah, my mom has a girlfriend, and we’re really lucky to have her around. She makes mom happier than dad ever did.” There was a hint of bitterness in the lilt of his voice at the end of his statement.  
Molly and Sylvie exchanged a look. “Well, if you ever want to talk about it,” Sylvie began, fishing around in his pockets until he snagged one of his cards.  
“No. No therapy-ing today. Today is for fun!” Giovanni insisted, pushing Sylvie’s hand away when he held out the card.  
“Oh.” Sylvie figured he might react like that, but it still was mildly surprising. “Okay.”  
Giovanni’s usual pleasant smile returned his face. He began to build a small “room” out of the pillows. Once he got the pillows to settle into place as a small box, he looked up at Molly and Sylvie. “Are you guys just going to watch, or are you going to join in?”  
“Yes!” Molly exclaimed, while Sylvie nodded curtly with a wide smile. Molly began to build another room of sorts connected to Giovanni’s. She placed the pillows with skill that surprised both Giovanni and Sylvie.  
“How’d you do that with such precision?” Sylvie asked as she finished. Not a single pillow or cushion fell as she built.  
“Yeah, Beartrap, that was amazing!”  
Molly blushed. “My sister and I used to build them with my mom. I guess we all just got super good at it after a while.”  
Giovanni patted her on the head. She grinned, and quickly assembled another, larger piece of the pillow fort.  
Sylvie began sifting through the pile, looking at the pillows he could choose from, comparing sizes and testing stiffness. As he searched for pillows he wanted, another question came to mind. “So I understand why you need all the blankets,” Sylvie asked, “But what about all these pillows?”  
“They’re for when the boys come over. I have sleepovers with them, too. And there are way more than just the six I brought to museum. Those guys are just my minions. I have friends.”  
“Ah.” Sylvie picked out a few mismatched but sturdy-feeling pillows and put them together. Once built, his creation collapsed in on itself, and he looked at its remains in dissatisfaction. He gave it a second try, and it stood for a moment before falling over once again. He looked at Molly, studying her method of assembling the rooms of the fort as she built another. He attempted to emulate her building style, but his room toppled back down immediately after he made it. He growled in frustration.  
Molly noticed him struggling and walked over to him. “Do you need some help?”  
“No, I-!” He started, then stopped. The only way to learn is to be taught, he reminded himself. “Yes please,” he accepted quietly.  
“Here, let me show you.” She took the pillows and began to explain what to do as she put the room together slowly, making sure he could see what she was doing clearly. “You chose good pillows, though,” she noted, “Very stable, able to hold each other up well. You want strong pillows. And… There!” she exclaimed, finishing up the room, “Now you try!”  
Sylvie carefully selected new pillows, while Molly waited patiently for him. When he had selected his pillows, he began to build his own room for the fort the way she had guided him to. The first time, it fell apart, but the second time he tried, it did not. He smiled, satisfied with his work.  
“Good job!” Molly praised, clapping, before she returned to making her own. Sylvie began a second small room next to the one he had just built.  
Meanwhile, Giovanni had made three other rooms for the fort, and decided to grab a few chairs from the kitchen so he could drape blankets down. He placed the chairs far from each other, hanging one end of the blankets from the back of the chairs, and pulling the other end onto the tops of the rooms of the forts that were finished. Molly and Sylvie were beginning to run out of good pillows, so Sylvie began taking the pillows that could not be used for building and spreading them across the bottom of the fort so they could sit comfortably within it. Molly finished the last of her rooms, and crawled into the fort. Light from outside filtered in through the blankets, casting down dull, many colored shades upon the fort. “It’s beautiful,” Molly thought to herself, laying down and sinking into the pillows. Sylvie, who had just finished covering the ground in pillows, did likewise.  
Giovanni finished covering the fort in blankets and also crawled in. He saw that Molly was beginning to drift off, and Sylvie was already asleep, so he joined them in the sea of pillows and quickly fell asleep too. They were just a bunch of tired kids looking out for each other, after all.  
The woke to the tone of Molly’s phone ringing. She woke up, and still groggy, she answered it. “Hello?” she asked.  
“Molly, I can’t find you, so I’m calling you,” Lorelai, her sister, said from the other end, “Dad says you are doing the night shift tonight. Please come home soon. By the way, where are you? And when did you leave?”  
“Oh, I haven’t been gone long, just out for a walk,” Molly bluffed nervously.  
“Ah, that makes sense. I mean, I haven’t seen you since Friday, but I guess we just didn’t run into each other.”  
“I guess so.”  
“Bye.”  
“Bye.” Molly heard her sister hang up the phone, then put down her own. “Guys, i have to go home.”  
“Okay,” Giovanni said, glancing around at the fort, “Well, then we have to clean up, and then I’ll drive you home. Unless you need to go now?”  
“No, I just have the night shift tonight,” She informed him.  
“Ah, then we have time,” he noted with a nod, not wanting to complain about her working on a school night again right now.  
They made quick work of putting away the blankets and pillows into the drawers and closets they belonged in, and making the beds back up. Or maybe it only felt quick because they knew Molly had to leave as soon as they finished. Either way, when the blankets were all away, and the chairs back in the kitchen, and the pillows back on the beds, and the beds all made nicely, and the cushions back on the couches, nobody was really ready to take Molly home. Still, Giovanni asked, “Is everybody ready?” hoping that there would be a reason for them to stall further. No one had any reason to stay besides they didn’t want to leave, however, which meant that their sleepover was at its end. Molly had the pajamas that Giovanni gave her the night before in her backpack, and Sylvie had Lev settled in the make-shift cage he was in. All bundled up in their hoodies, they made their way to the car. Sylvie let Molly sit up front without an argument.  
“Did you have fun, Beartrap?” Giovanni asked, as the car began to roll down the street.  
“Mhm!” she replied enthusiastically.  
“What about you?” He asked Sylvie.  
“Me?” he peeped from the backseat, looking up from Lev, who he had been petting softly, “It was great. thank you.”  
Giovanni nodded proudly. “You are welcome anytime.”  
The drive to the toy store felt exceedingly short as they chattered amongst themselves, exchanging their favorite memory.  
“I liked building the pillow fort!” Molly hummed, feeling joy at her memories, both those with her friends and those with her mom and sister, “it reminded me of how happy we used to be. Maybe my family can be like that again someday!”  
“I hope so,” Giovanni sighed with a sad smile.  
“Me too,” Sylvie added supportively.  
“Thanks you guys. What was your favorite part, Sylvie?”  
He looked back down at Lev with a smile. “My lizard!”  
“Ah, yes, baby’s first crime!” Giovanni exclaimed wistfully.  
Sylvie whined “Nooooooo!” in response.  
Molly giggled. “What about you, Giovanni?”  
“Just hanging out with you guys,” Giovanni answered.  
“Aw, thanks!” Molly cooed. Sylvie blushed, but didn’t respond.  
They pulled up to the Blyndeff Toy emporium way too soon. All three got out of the car, the cold not as bad as the past couple days before. Giovanni and Sylvie both tightly embraced Molly.  
“See you later, Beartrap,” Giovanni murmured, “I miss you already!”  
“Bye, Molly,” Sylvie said softly, “Thanks for showing me what it’s like to have friends.”  
“No problem,” she whispered back. Then louder, but still quiet, she said, “See you later, guys.” She waved to them as she walked into the shop. They waved back, until she was out of sight, and then returned to the car. Molly sighed as she put down her backpack.  
“Oh! You’re home!” she heard behind her.  
“Hi, Lorelai,” she greeted her sister.  
“Did you enjoy your walk? It was long,” Lorelai asked.  
Molly nodded yes. “While I was walking, I was just wondering. Do you remember those pillow forts we used to make?”  
“With mom?” Lorelai muttered with a frown.  
“Yeah.”  
“What about them?”  
“We should make one again sometime. Together.”  
“Together?”  
“Yeah.”  
Lorelai was quiet for a moment as she thought. “Yeah. I think I’d like to do that.” She pulled Molly into a gentle hug. Molly returned the hug.  
Back in the car, Giovanni asked Sylvie, who was now sitting in the front seat, “Do you want me to take you home, too.”  
“You probably should. I have work tomorrow,” Sylvie answered.  
“Mm,” Giovanni hummed. There was silence most of the way there. Giovanni glanced at Sylvie while they stopped at an intersection. The boy looked uneasy. “You feeling alright?”  
Sylvie shrugged, his arms crossed and drawn up tightly. “I’ve been living alone for so long. I think… I think I don’t like it.”  
“I see,” Giovanni said. He thought for a moment, as he turned onto Sylvie’s street and parked next to the apartment building. “Maybe I could fix that.”  
“How?” Sylvie asked, desperation creeping into his voice, although he tried to hide it. Both of the boys got out of the car.  
“I’ll walk you in,” Giovanni told him, before continuing. “I’m technically an adult, which means I am able to move out as I please.”  
“Move out? Why would..? You don’t have to- You’re an adult?” Sylvie stumbled over his words in shock, “How- How old are you?”  
“I’m nineteen,” Giovanni answered.  
“Nineteen? Wow, you’re older than I thought!”  
“How old did you think I was?”  
“Seventeen or something. Not an adult.”  
“The world is full of surprises,” Giovanni remarked coyly.  
“Whatever, man,” Sylvie laughed, giving Giovanni a playful shove, which Giovanni returned, equally playfully. Sylvie paused as his laughter died down. “What do you mean, when you say you can move out?”  
“I, well, maybe I could move in with you and help you out?” Giovanni suggested, “Like your… Like your parents should have.”  
“I-” Sylvie was speechless, “You’d do that for me?”  
“Of course!” Giovanni answered, “Why wouldn’t I? Besides, I have to make sure you sleep somehow.”  
“Would your mom be okay with that?”  
Giovanni grimaced. “Probably not. But the thing about being nineteen is that I get to make that decision.” They stopped outside Sylvie’s apartment.  
“Okay,” Sylvie relented softly, pulling the keys out of his pocket and unlocking the door, “If you’re sure about this.”  
“I’ve never been so sure about anything else in my life.”  
“Well, then…” Sylvie paused awkwardly. “I’ll be expecting you later, I guess?”  
Giovanni smiled at him, which made Sylvie feel warm. “Yeah! So you soon, Sylv!”  
Sylvie closed the door behind himself, feeling very contemplative. Was this really going to be like having a parent again? Would it actually be better this time? Giovanni was nice to him, and made sure that he was happy and healthy, so maybe, for the first time in his life, it would be nice. Sylvie walked over to his laptop and began scrolling through his emails. He wrote short replies back to co-workers and patients, about hours he could or couldn’t work to the former, and things that could help with certain problems to the latter. He liked to give his work email to his patients, so whenever they needed help, he was right there. Is that what it’d be like, when Giovanni moved in with him? Help would be right there? Would Giovanni want him to call him dad? He wasn’t sure how he felt about that at the moment. He looked down at Lev, whom he had been carrying close to his chest around with him as he did things. He’d have to get him a proper cage. That was the point of rescuing him from that awful pet store. For now, he’d get Lev settled someplace in his room.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Giovanni drove home with feelings of paternal love and nostalgic sadness glowing inside of him. He was excited to be there for Sylvie, to feel something so purposeful, to care for someone. At the same time, this was his home. It was where his mom had moved them to when his dad had left, and it always felt special for that. A place for them to start new, a place where they felt safe. A happier, more satisfying life. Then again, that’s why he was doing this; So Sylvie would be able to feel that kind of security. Roads that felt familiar beneath him as he drove home, how saddening that he would drive them home so much less, how exciting that he’s going to get to relive learning roads until they were familiar and safe. To learn what home was, what home would feel like, all over again.  
As he reached his house, and walked inside, he decided, yes, yes, that is what home is, after all. A place of safety and caring. When had Sylvie last felt truly at home? Had he ever? Giovanni could fix that, and even more important, he wanted to. To want to help, Giovanni felt, was one of the most important pieces of caring for someone. He grabbed a bag. He stuffed some clothes into it, as much as he could. Then he did the same to another bag, and then another. He gathered some blankets and a pillow, just in case Sylvie didn’t have anything. He probably didn’t. That boy had been alone for so long. He was glad that he and Molly had come into Sylvie’s life. He didn’t want to imagine what would have happened if Sylvie had just been alone like he had for the rest of his childhood. Even now he feared that the damage of loneliness may be irrevocable. He shuttered to think of it.  
Giovanni heard the sound of the front door opening. “I’m home!” It was his mom. Oh dear.  
“Hey, mom!” he called from his room, realizing as soon as he greeted her that he definitely did not sound himself.  
He cursed at himself internally as his mom called back, “Honey, are you alright? You sound-” She open the door and stopped dead when she saw him. “Gigi… What are you doing?”  
Why had he ever complained about the nickname? She loved him, and that was how she showed it. It was the same as the same way he showed it to Sylvie by calling him Sylv. “I’m leaving mom. I’m sorry! I have to go.”  
“You’re leaving me?” His mom asked, her eyes wide and her voice vulnerable. No, he didn’t want that tone, those words. He wasn’t like his dad. This was different, “Where are you going to go? Why?”  
“No, mom, don’t say it like that,” Giovanni pleaded. Not the questions she had asked his dad all those years ago. “This is different.”  
“How? How is this different?”  
Giovanni took a deep breath, holding back tears. “It’s a friend of mine. He’s all alone, and he needs someone to be there for him. He just a kid, he’s fifteen. I can’t let him go on like he is. I can’t let him be alone anymore. Not when I could help him. Please, mom, you have to understand.”  
Giovanni’s mom took a deep breath of her own. “Oh, Giovanni. You always had a big heart. I knew when you left, it would be because of that. But I never assumed it’d be like this. I always figured you’d fall in love or something and leave. But this. This is much more than that. To leave for something like this… That’s true bravery.” She walked over to him, hugged him, then ruffled his hair. “That’s just like my brave Giovanni.”  
“So you’re not mad?” he asked.  
She kissed his cheek. “Of course I’m not mad. You’re going to change that boy’s life. Go. Do the good I always knew you would.”  
“Thanks, mom,” Giovanni whispered, his voice straining, “I’ll visit often.”  
“Of course.”  
He finished packing silently, gave his mom one last good bye, and got back in the car. So he really had been able to grow into someone she could be proud of. He could be proud of himself, even. When he was younger, he always had a fear of growing up and being like his father. He was wrong, and he couldn’t be happier. He could stick with his family, both that he was born into and that he had discovered. He learned to live by his heart, to love and love the world and everyone around him with all his heart, and he was rewarded handsomely. All around him there was love, and he was loved, and he couldn’t be happier. He doubted his dad had found this kind of happiness in his life of constantly moving around, running and running and never slowing down, looking for love for the meantime instead of for his lifetime. Giovanni was thankful he had a lifetime of love ahead of him.  
He was right outside the apartments already, suddenly, somehow, and he parked. He took a moment to compose himself from all the emotions he was feeling. Once he was calmed down, he went inside. He went down the rows. “105… 105…” he said to himself under his breath scanning the numbers on the doors. He hoped that Sylvie would be happy with him. He didn’t want to disappoint the boy. Not after everything else that had happened to him. Giovanni knew how it felt to feel alone, and he knew how it felt to have a parent reject him. How horrible, Giovanni thought, to have two parents like that, like his dad. Someone who made it known they did not love you, and then did not care when they didn’t have you anymore, or worse, grateful that you were gone.  
“105!” he exclaimed softly, knocking on the door. Sylvie would just have to make do with a barely adult that made minimum wage at a part-time job he worked at after school everyday, and ate soup every other night.  
Sylvie opened the door, eyes wide with thankfulness and wonder. “You… Actually came back for me.”  
“Of course I did!”  
Sylvie tackled him into a hug. A real hug. A hug that wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable, something Sylvie was not able to do just that Friday. “Thank you!” Sylvie cried.  
Giovanni hugged back, feeling warm pride Swelling up his heart. “C’mon Sylv, let’s make us some dinner.”  
Sylvie let go. “Okay.” Sylvie was crying a little bit. “I’m sorry,” Sylvie laughed sheepishly, wiping away tears, “I’m just happy. For once, I don’t feel alone.”  
“You don’t have to be sorry,” Giovanni told him, “I’m just happy you actually want me around. I hope I’m a better help than I feel like I’m going to be.”  
“Giovanni, you’re helping me so much already. I have a job, I don’t need money. I just need someone to tell me I can take a break and help me take proper care of myself. And cooking. I can’t cook.”  
“Well, I can make us something right now. You’ve got at least a pot in you’re kitchen, right?”  
“Maybe. Are we having soup?”  
“...Yes.”  
Lo and behold, Sylvie actually did have a pot in his kitchen. It was one of the few items in his kitchen that could be used for cooking. Giovanni whisked up a wonderful tomato soup for them to share. To Giovanni’s delight, Sylvie loved it. “You can make it again whenever you like!” Sylvie told him.  
Sylvie had never been happier, and neither had Giovanni.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked that bit at the end. I knew I wanted to write that for a while now, but I wasn't sure how you guys would feel about it. I think I'll make a series. We'll see. Once again, thank you for reading, and sticking with me until the end. Until I write again, stay safe, and happy reading. <3


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